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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2012

DYPSIS CABADAEA SPECIES WITH NO KNOWN NATIVE HOMEThis is a
suckering palm species felt probably to be from Madagascar. But,
in recent times, no
plants have been found in the wild in Madagascar. Specimens were
originally found in
Cuba where, by report, it was named after a well known medical doctor.
It is felt that this doctor traveled to Madagascar and collected seeds
many decades ago.
It is now in botanical gardens and collections worldwide. John
Dransfield, in his book, The Palms of Madagascar, describes
this species, but not from collected material from the wild. This
species is taller than many other Dypsis, up to about 30 feet,
suckering, with trunks of six inch diameter or larger. If
you check out the pictures of mature plants here, you can appreciate
its size. Trunks are silver green with light colored rings.
The crown shaft is silver and leaf length is about 10 feet.

Shown here are the 5g and 15g size. On smaller nursery plants,
I've noticed a dark color to the base of the petiole and the upper
trunk. Cold hardiness is into the upper twenties F. It can
tolerate sun along the coast but needs protection inland. My
thanks to those with photos of mature plants shown here.

Photo by R. Kyburz, PACSOA

by T. Spanner RPS

by U of F, PACSOA

BUTIA BONETTITHE MOST COLD HARDY BUTIA?For people in colder areas of the country, there
is always a search for the most cold hardy palm species. You'll often
hear that Butia bonetti is the most cold hardy of all the Butia.
It has been said that it will go down to 9 degrees F. But, what
exactly is this "species".

Opinion now is that it is a smaller, shorter variety of Butia capitata.
Some feel it is just a cultivar of the Pindo Palm. This is because the
flower parts are similar to the capitata. It is felt to
be native to Brazil. It gets to about ten feet of height, making
it a rather short palm and definitely smaller than the Pindo.. Leaf color is silver-green. The
fruit is edible. It is also very difficult to find, even in palm
specialty nurseries. It is very slow growing. We are lucky
presently to offer a limited number of extremely large 15g Butia
bonetti as shown here.
The mature photo is by Dennis Valdez from a specimen in the San
Joaquin Valley in California. If you need a super cold hardy
small pinnate palm, this one might be perfect for you. These can
be shipped anywhere within the U.S.

by Dennis Valdez, No Cal Palm Soc

RAVENEA
RIVULARISTHE MAJESTY PALM About twenty-five years ago, I was one of the
first nurserymen in the U.S. to grow this species. There was
talk at the time that this would be "the palm of the future".
This did not evolve except that it has been mass produced in large
numbers and sold through many wholesale nurseries. But, inherent
problems kept it from being the most sought after species.
First, it needs lots of nutrition (fertilizer). If it is not fed
and watered regularly, it becomes yellow and can even turn white.
(see photo below). Also, it likes a lot of water. Finally,
it is super fast growing and needs a fair amount of space. This
species can get to heights of 50 feet with trunk bases as big as a
Royal Palm (30 inches).

Because of these short comings, in more recent times depot stores are
trying to market this species with three plants in one pot and sell it
as a "house plant". Unfortunately, it doesn't do great inside
the home. It's ok, but there are much better interior palms.
So, popularity has backed off and many stores no longer carry
Ravenea rivularis.

But, it does have its attributes. It is quick and, when treated
well, can make a nice specimen plant as shown. in the photos below.
The photo with the woman at the base was taken from my garden in 1985.
It now has over thirty feet of trunk today. That's my wife standing
next to the trunk in the photo. Some of the photos below are
from habitat in Madagascar. You can tell which ones. Cold
hardiness is into the lower twenties F. and along the coast this
species can take full sun. Far inland areas must give some
protection from full sun.

Photo by MR

photo by MR

Nutritionally challenged plant, unknown
photographer

In
my garden, about 1985, with my wife

RAVENEA XEROPHILA A SILVER, DROUGHT-TOLERANT SPECIESThis endangered species of
arid palm comes from Southern Madagascar in the "Spiny Forest" part of
the country, where it grows at high elevation among the likes of
cactus and other xerophytic species. It prefers hot sun and can
tolerate drought. Natural habitat is from 1000 to 2500 feet, the
trunk height is fifteen to twenty five feet with a diameter of one
foot, and the trunk is covered with old leaf bases. The leaves are
rather short, up to six feet, curved downward and gray or gray-green
in color. A surprising characteristic of this species is found by
anyone who has germinated seeds. On germination, a huge radicle is
produced. It resembles a cycad more than a palm. It is like a huge
carrot attached to the seed. This root and subsequent roots are good
size and very long, showing how this species adaptation to search for
deep water in its natural habitat. I am suspicious that these roots
may also retain water for emergency purposes. This species does
tolerate drought but responds to watering. It is extremely slow
growing.

Shown to the right and below are containerized plants ofRavenea xerophila. Citrus pot
plants take us about five years to produce. The larger plants below
took eight years. I'm showing a juvenile plant the garden of a friend
of mine, Jeff Searle. The final habitat photo is from Tobias Spanner
at Rare Palm Seeds. Everyone who grows this species comments that 1)
it is very slow and 2) it is typically blue, or a blue-green in
color. I apologize, but there are so few pictures of mature plants
of this species available, so I hope you enjoy those that I can
provide to you.

ZAMIA SPARTEAA DWARF THIN LEAF CYCADThis species of Mexican cycad is quite
unusual to see available because it has been neglected for so long
because enthusiasts sought out the more broad leaf Zamia species.
Zamia spartea has extremely thin leaflets. The leaf stems are
mildly armed with small spines. This is a dwarf cycad. It
lives in grassy areas and is difficult to spot in habitat becauseeit is
camouflaged by the adjacent grass. It gets a cuadex about four inches
in size with leavesinches
in size with leaves that are two, perhaps a maximum of three feet long. In the
ground and in cultivation, it will hold perhaps five leaves or more.
It cones at an age of about five to six years after germination.
Shown here are some citrus pot and coning sized plants. These
are about ten years old. Note the female
cone shown in one photo. Cold tolerance of this species is into
the twenties F. Along the coast it can tolerate a fair amount of
sun. Inland areas would require sun protection.

We have citrus pot and band sizes available. /span>

A FEW INTERESTING PALM
TREES
READY FOR LANDSCAPE SIZESI thought
I would quickly show an assortment of nice, landscape-ready palms of
various sorts. I'm not commenting on the individual species,
rather just showing some nursery plants. We literally have
thousands of such palms for sale.

Roystonea regia

Dypsis decaryi

Parajubaea torallyi

Ravenea sanbiranensis

Dypsis leptocheilos

Butia capitata blue

Chamaedorea hooperiana

Pritchardia species

Kentiopsis oliviformis

Chamaedorea brachypoda

Chambeyronia macrocarpa

Caryota gigas

Caryota urens

Howea forsteriana

TWO NICE BLUE CYCADSENCEPHALARTOS LEHMANII & TRISPINOSUSIt's always fun to show photos of nicely
colored blue cycads. Two days ago I took these photos of two sun
grown, blue Encephalartos at the nursery. If you enjoy blue
cycads, then you should like these. The first is Encephalartos
lehmanii. Its leaflets are not as armed as the second species
shown, Encephalartos trispinosus. Both have an average crown
size of four feet diameter at maturity with trunk heights under three
feet. Both like full hot sun and have cold tolerances down to about
22 degrees. With caudex protection, they can go lower than this.
Also, these species can be grown in a xerophytic garden with minimal
watering. The plants to the right are named so you can see the
difference between the two. You'll note the that trispinosus
is forming a sucker, as seen in the last photo. Caudex sizes on both
are about 7 to 8 inches. Planted out, these two cycads should cone in
the next few years. I'd consider these two nursery plant as medium
to large plants. We have seedlings, juvenile plants, others like
these and then some mature, huge coning sized plants for sale. All
can easily be shipped, but only within the United States. If there
are any species of cycads you seek, email me. We are growing bout 150
species.

Encephalartos lehmanii

Encephalartos lehmanii

Encephalartos lehmanii

Encephalartos trispinosus

Encephalartos trispinos

Encephalartos trispinos

IDEAS FOR A TROPICAL PATIO
ENCINITAS, CAThis past summer I toured the garden of a friend
of mine. It's about a twelve year old garden located in Encinitas,
Ca, about a quarter mile from the ocean.. Recently his son took it
upon himself to create a beautiful interior breezeway type of patio.
This patio utilized space between two parts of the house. They
installed overhead skylights. It opens into a lush tropical garden
outside. I thought you'd enjoy seeing the results. Many of the
plants utilized came from our nursery. The size is about twelve by
twenty feet. With the entry door open, a gentle breeze flowed through
the patio. Peak height of the structure was estimated at twelve
feet. No additional heat has ever been given and one end of the patio
is open to the garden year round. The last two photos show what the
patio looks out to. With the sofa and chair, what a great place to
have coffee with friends or a early evening dinner. For privacy
reasons I am not mentioning the garden's owner.

GROWING CYCADS IN THE HOUSE?
YES, IT CAN BE DONEOn a similar theme, I thought I'd show you two
photographs sent to me by a long time customer. He lives on the East
Coast of the U.S. He is an avid cycad enthusiast but lives in an area
where they cannot be grown outdoors because of cold. He had
constructed the illustrated solarium to the right. It receives
standard house heating and no special humidity. There are overhead
skylights. As you can see, his plants are flourishing. Many of his
plants have been growing like this, inside the house, for over a
decade. His experience is proof that, with a little thought and
preparation, even people in colder areas can have a vast array of
cycads.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2012

PRITCHARDIA SPECIESA NICE 25G SPECIMENI have been
growing this 25g Pritchardia for about 12 years. Long ago the
label was lost. It is somewhat difficult to accurately know a
Pritchardia species name when they are not mature. In fact,
sometimes it's even difficult with large specimen plants.
Also, the
names of Pritchardia have undergone quite a few changes lately.
By report, Don Hodel is writing a new book on this genus.

In any case, this is a nice, sun-grown plant that is about eight feet
tall. It has a wide, rather flat green leaf with some tomentum
on the petiole and stem. I have shown both sides of the leaf
here and you can see it is basically green. Pritchardia are all
un-armed and medium sized trees. Mature, some are only eight to
ten feet tall. There are species that get over thirty feet tall.
Most are from Hawaii and have cold tolerances into the upper to
mid-twenties F. Species not native to HI (i.e. from the South
Pacific) do not do well in Southern California. Along our coast, most will take sun or part sun.
Inland areas require strong filtered light or AM sun only. I
cannot show a mature plant of this species as I don't know for sure
what it is. But, I'm showing a nice Pritchardia martii
below as
well as several other large nursery plants. We have all sizes of
Pritchardia available.

Pritchardia martii

ARCHONTOPHOENIX MYOLENSISMYOLA KING PALMThis species of Archontophoenix is
named after an area in Queensland, Australia, where it lives
natively. I find the most prominent characteristic of this species is
the clean, usually emerald green crown shaft. It is quite striking up
close. It is comparable in size to the standard King palm and is also
quite cold hardy, well into the mid-twenties F. It, because of its
size, will emerge into the sun which it tolerates along the coast.
Far inland areas may see brown tipping in full sun, like with all the
other Kings. Anticipate a height of 35 to 40 feet. In habitat, they
get over 50 feet. Growth rate is fast.
Shown to the right is a 24 inch box. I've shown a few other plants
with a close up of the clean, green crown shaft. The last picture, by
Tobias Spanner, shows a nice specimen. I think it's more tropical
appearing overall compared to the standard King palm. And, I think it
is prettier as well. We have many sizes for sale.

A. myolensis
by T. Spanner, RPS

LIVISTONA MARIAEThis is a tall, single
trunk fan palm from the northern regions of Australia. It typically
has a domestic trunk height of forty, perhaps fifty feet but in
habitat specimens are known to exist with trunk heights of eighty
feet. Trunk diameter is one foot, crown width is fifteen feet and
trunks often retain fibrous matted material which later falls to the
ground. Leaves are six feet in diameter with divided segments.
Petioles are long and armed with spines. Growth rate is excellent.
This is a full sun species and cold tolerance is into the mid, perhaps
lower 20's F.

This species is often confused with or referred to as
Livistona rigida, although the latter is
now considered to be a separate species with stiffer leaves, less
flexing of the segments. Livistona mariae
can show some red color to the leaves when a juvenile plant. Shown
here is our 5g size ofLivistona
mariae which we now have available. They
are outdoor grown in the sun. Also shown are some mature garden
specimens. On these pictures not the thin, tall trunk, the long
petioles and the open crown of leaves. As these are all older plants,
no leaf base debris is seen on the trunks. The last photo shows the
red color of a juvinile plant of Livistona rigida.
Livistona marie is also known to
produce this color.

PHOENIX HANCEANAThis is a shorter form of the
Pheonix
genus with a somewhat stout trunk but
only a height up to about 10 feet. Of
interest is that sometimes it suckers,
other times it is single trunk. The
leaflets are pointed like many Phoenix
species. It is synonymous with P.
loureiri var loureiri. Shown is a 5g
plant, $65. Also shown is a larger
specimen. I would consider this a
"medium sized" Date palm. It would
work well for someone who wants a
smaller Canary type palm. It is cold hardy
into the upper teens F. at most and wants
full sun exposure.

DIOON CAPUTOIDioon caputoi is a very rare species of
Dioon with its habitat being in the area of Pueblo in the
country of Mexico. Several decades ago one could only dream about
this species with only about a hundred plants in habitat. In the
1990's, some seeds did come out of habitat and it is occasionally seen
for sale. It is not a big cycad. Trunks are typically one to two
feet, rarely to three feet. The leaflets are very thin with gaps
between the leaflets. The color is green or gray-green. Leaves are
stiff and usually two to three feet long. It is slow growing and
prefers sun along the coast or very bright filtered light. It is an
endangered species and next to impossible to find in a nursery. We
are quite fortunate to offer you plants in a variety of sizes, from
band up to 15g size. Mature plant photos and a female cone are
provided by a friend of mine, Mark Mason. Although the coldest limit
is not known, I'd estimate cold tolerance to be in the upper teens F.

DYPSIS "BASILONGA"I
used the quotation marks around "basilonga"
because there is still some confusion about this species. The
seeds that gave us the plants shown here came in as "basilonga".
But, there is controversy over whether this is the real thing or not.
I have no photos of a mature plant. I have Googled for photos
and have had minimal results with different mature plants presented as
this species. Be aware this species is referred to as "basilonga"
and "basilongus".
According to J. Dransfield's reference on Madagascar palms, "basilonga"
is correct.

From descriptions I've read, this will be a single trunk, medium
sized, pinnate and crown shafted palm. The leaflets are narrow
and their underside is somewhat silver. The more proximal
leaflets are wider than the distal leaflets. Shown here is a one
gallon and two gallon plant. No mature specimen photos are
available. Sorry.

DIOON ANGUSTIFOLIUM
AKA DION EDULE VAR ANGUSTIFOLIUMThe main characteristic of
this species and the Latin derivation for "angusti" is "thin". It is
known mostly by the fact that it has very thin leaflets. Some would
give it species status while others (most) consider it to be a variety
of Dioon edule. This Mexican species has stems that are
typically under three feet in height, although taller specimens exist
in habitat. Leaves are three to four feet long and leaflets are a
quarter inch in width. It prefers full, hot sun and is cold tolerant
into the upper teens. Such temperatures may burn the leaves but often
the plant survives. It is an attractive species because it is not
overly large, doesn't get tall or big, and will hold many leaves, all
with a large number of the almost needle like leaflets.

You'll note on the first photograph to the right
how the leaves are almost transparent because of the thin leaflets.
It's as if you can "see through them". Many find this very
desirable. Several photographs below demonstrate the very thin
leaflets. This species will sucker freely at the base as seen below.
Leaf color is green, sometimes with blue or silver tones.
.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2012

CERATOZAMIA SPECIESFEMALE PLANT IN CONEThe plant shown here is in a 20g
container and has a female cone. Female cones tend to look like
pinapples whereas the male cones are longer and thinner, more like a
corn cob. Note the prongs on the cone, typical of a Ceratozamia.
I can't be positive of the species of this plant, but closest would be
Ceratozamia mexicana.I am showing this cycad because it is pretty typical of a lot of
the Ceratozamia. They are lush appearing, have leaves that in
general spread outwards and not up (there are exceptions) and have a
tropical green color. Most prefer filtered light and are cold hardy
into the lower teens F. The are a wonderful species for the
garden floor, below towering plants overhead. We have a great selection of
Ceratozamia for sale in all sizes.

DIOON EDULECOLD HARDY, INTENSE SUN TOLERANT, SEVERAL TYPES/VARIETIES
AVAILABLECycad
enthusiast tend to really like Dioons. This genus is quite
diversified with a variety of appearances of the various species.
Dioon edule is a species from Mexico. As a group, they are very
tough plants. They take blazing hot sun, tolerate heat and are
probably one of the most cold hardy of all cycads. They tolerate
temperatures into the upper teens F. Within this species, one will find
plants that are different appearing but still would be called an edule.
These "varieties" are all a bit different. They are often
referred to by their locality of origin with such terms as 'rio verde",
"rio pescado", "tomalipas" or other such habitat names. And,
all are a bit different.

Shown here are an assortment of cycads from this species; All would
called a Dioon edule. But, simple observation shows the
differences between them. The first species (3 photos) has long
green leaves. The second plant (pictures 4 through 7) is a blue
species. The rest are an assortment of older plants.
Please note the variety in appearance of these plants. All
of these make smaller mature plants. None get over about six
feet tall in many years. Crown width on all is not that great,
maximum six feet. Growth rate is slow. All love sun and
heat. If you live in the desert in such places like Phoenix and
Las Vegas, you may find that Dioon edule is the only species
of cycad that will take your sun.

We have a nice assortment of Dioon edule in all sizes. Everyone
has a place in the garden for one.

DYPSIS LEPTOCHEILOS
THE TEDDY BEAR PALM

Most people would put
this species on their "top ten" list of favorite palms for Southern
California. It is native to Madagascar, is single trunk, has a
gorgeous rusty red crown shaft (thus the common name) and only gets to
a height of about 25 feet. Along the coast it tolerates full sun
but prefers part day sun inland. Cold tolerance is into the
mid-twenties F. Its growth rate is about average. The
trunk is an interesting silver color with prominent dark rings.
Shown here is a 25 gallon, locally grown specimen. We also have
available 15g plants (shown below) as well as 5g.

The last photo is a specimen grown in
Southern California.

KENTIOPSIS OLIVIFORMISA RARE CROWN SHAFTED PALM FROM NEW CALEDONIANew
Caledonia is such a treasure trove for great palm species for
enthusiasts. This species is no exception. It is single
trunk, medium sized up to about 25 feet, clean, self-pruning, crown
shafted and has silver green leaves when grown in full sun. Its
trunk is thin to medium sized, typically about 8 inches. The
crown width is about like a King Palm. On the coast it tolerates
full sun; inland partial sun or strong filtered light. It is more cold hardy than the King Palm with low tolerance about
24 degrees. Growth rate is medium. Shown here is a 25
gallon plant and several garden specimens from around Southern
California. The tall specimen below is being grown in the
Clairmont community of San Diego and is about 25 feet tall. We
have available a very limited number of this species.

PHILODENDRON CANNIFOLIUMAKA PHILODENDRON MARTIANUMGood news for those of you who missed
out on this impressive and rare understory plant,
Philodendroncannifolium. Just yesterday we got in a limited number of
huge 3g plants. These can be easily shipped anywhere within the
U.S. They get long leaves, three to four feet long. These
leaves are wide, thick and very fleshy. Specimens are
impressive. They tend to be more of a rosette type of
Philodendron as opposed to a climbing species. The ones we
have presently available are bigger than the first photo but can be
shipped in a box. This species likes filtered light and is an
easy grow in Southern California. I don't know of another So Cal
retail nursery that is offering this species presently. If you
like this species, get one before they are gone. On Monday I'll
have photos available of the new plants for those interested.

MAIL ORDER COUPONS AVAILABLEFor those interested in mail ordering plants,
just contact me by email and I'll send back a discount coupon for mail
orders.phil@junglemusic.net

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2012

CYCASS THOUARSIIAN INTERESTING TRIPLE HEADED PLANTThere is a
difference between a suckering cycad and a "branching" cycad.
With "branching", the division of the trunk occurs above the ground.
It usually happens to the primary or original stem.
This is usually felt to be an interesting and desirable thing.
Oppose this to a plant that merely produces lots of offspring near
the base. These are called "suckers" or "offsets". The plant
shown here, for whatever reasons, branched above the ground and is
showing three separate heads of leaves. Over time this plant
will have three vertical trunks, each with their own set of leaves.

This species is from Madagascar and is a green leafed plant. It
can get rather tall, well over ten feet with leaves about 6 to 8 feet
long. I've seen very old specimens that have gotten very large. The leaves are soft and the petioles have small armor.
Growth rate is fast. Cold hardiness is into the mid-twenties,
perhaps lower. On the coast, this species tolerates full sun.
Far inland areas would definitely put this plant in filtered light or
part day sun.

A different 5g plant, one trunk

CRYOSOPHILA STAURACANTHASINGLE TRUNK FAN PALM WITH SILVER BACKS:
THE STAR PALM Cryosophila is a genus of single trunk fan palms from Mexico, Central
America and northern South America. All have a prominent silver
color to the backs of their leaflets. The first two photos to
the right show this trait nicely. They are also known to have
spines on the trunks. These "spines" are not the thin sharp
spines one might imagine. Rather, they are thicker, not as
pointed and near the base of the trunk.

Cryosophila stauracantha can get a thin trunk over 20 feet tall, trunk
diameter 4 to 6 inches. At the base of the trunk spines can form
roots. The leaves are plentiful and circular in shape. The
photo in the third row by Tobias Spanner shows a nice plant of this
species that has some trunk. The other mature specimens are of other
Cryosophila.
Cold hardiness is into the mid-twenties F. This species can
tolerate full sun along the coast but demands protection from cold and
sun inland.

Cryosohyla warscewiczii by Tim Brian

Cryosophyla species

photo by Tobias Spanner

Cryosophila species

CALOCASIA ESCULENTA
VARIETY BLACK MAGICAN EXOTIC BLACK COMPANION PLANTI consider "companion plants" to be plants that
are used to adorn and beautify the garden but are not major landscape
statements. These are smaller plants that are placed here and there,
some in sun and others in shade, that add color and interest to your
plantings. Bromeliads, Orchids, Philodendron, Alocasia and
many other plants are used for this purpose. Black Magic plants are a
type of Elephant Ear Plant.

This companion plant is unique because of its color. Leaves are
black, purple or sometimes green with these colors. This depends upon
sun exposure and age of the leaf. New leaves emerge an interesting
green color and then turn black. The underside of the leaves is
silver as shown. Height is about four feet. They do like ample water
and good drainage. Cold tolerance is down to about a freeze and
winter may result in unsightly leaves. But, when things warm up, they
usually come back to their beautiful appearance. Very mild areas can
grow these in full sun, but I've found they do best with part day
sun. Without any sun, you won't get the nice black leaves. We have
for sale some very nic 5g plants as shown here. I'm showing here a
few nice Internet photos with credits given below the photos.

This is a favorite among palm
enthusiasts. It is not overly large, has nice recurved leaves, is
clean appearing and has a nice crown shaft. The problem is that this
species does poorly in Southern California. There are other species
of Veitchia that do better. It has been renamed as
Adonidia. Most people still know it by its former name. Shown is
a 9 foot tall 7g plant, available on request. Also shown is a pair of
beautifully grown plants in a garden in a more tropical locality than
here in Southern California.

This is a popular interior palm. It does reasonably well inside the
home. I am amazed at the number of people who visit Hawaii and then
call me on their return looking for this species. This is not a
species I recommend growing outdoors here in Southern California.
Even with this said, I guarantee you that a dozen people will call me
in the next month or so requesting this species. Usually I'm able to
talk them out of it. For now, consider it an interior plant only in
So Cal.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2012

CERATOZAMIA SPECIESAN INTERESTING PLANT WITH A TOUCH OF COLORAs I have mentioned before, the genus
of cycads known as Ceratozamia is often quite perplexing. I say
this because, historically, a smaller than anticipated number of species have been
described. Yet, observation of merely the plants we have in our
nursery far surpasses the number of described species. One asks
himself, "So, what is this species in front of me" and you key it out
and get no answer from the books. Fortunately, in recent times
things are getting better on this front and more species are being
described by taxonomists.

But, there are still some mysteries. There are still some plants
where I am not quite sure what to call them. So, they become
more "Ceratozamia species". The one shown here is such a plant.
It is a very old plant that I've probably had well over thirty years.
The caudex is quite enormous for a containerized plant; it's about 18
inches or so. It has coned and is a male. There is an interesting red color to the petiole
as shown. And, the leaves are long, the leaflets are cupped and
the leaflet edges are an orange-bronze color. Leaflets are over twelve
inches long and medium width. I'm showing this plant just
because it's very attractive and unusual. It would want filtered
light and has already seen freezes. I'd estimate its cold
hardiness into the low 20's F.

PHILODENDRON GREEN CONGOA CLIMBING GREEN SPECIES From time to time I talk about companion
plants. Shown here is a good growing, shade loving species of
Philodendron that could be used to climb up a palm trunk, attach to a
fence or occupy a vacant ground area. I am showing this plant to
demonstrate how it forms trunks with aerial roots. It's these
roots that the plant uses to attach to another tree's trunk. We
also sell the red variety of this plant. It tolerates a freeze
and needs a protected, under the canopy environment. As I am typing
this Blog, I am looking out my window into the garden where I see a
variety of Philodendron climbing my palm trunks. Some
of these have gone up well over twenty feet. It's very cool.

PHILODENDRON RED CONGOThis is another very desirable Philodendron
that likes filtered light and is quite showy. They are only
intermittently available on the market. It is similar to the green
species above except for its color. We presently have some 2g
plants for sale. They are easy to grow and take temperatures down to
about a freeze. The plants definitely have a red color to the
underside of the leaves and stems. Shown are the 2g size we have
available and larger plants to show its beauty. This species can be
grown as a stand alone plant or placed next to a tree trunk where it
will slowly climb the trunk. It is not as an aggressive climber
as the green form above.

ENCEPHALARTOS HORRIDUSThis extremely popular blue species of cycad
from South Africa is continually in demand. It is probably the
number one species of cycad that we sell. It is a small to
medium sized plant with a crown diameter typically under four feet.
And, it tolerates hot sun in most areas and is compact. With its
blue or silver foliage, it appears people can always find room for
this species. It is slow growing, taking several decades to get
a basketball sized caudex. But, it's faster growing in the
ground compared to a container. In desert areas, partial sun
would be best. Cold tolerance is the low 20's f. A plant
with a two to three foot vertical caudex height would be considered
enormous. Shown here is a whole assortment of nursery plants.
In the last row is a seedling and a rooted out offset with a new flush
of purple colored leaves. In the third row below is another
offset just beginning to throw these new leaves. Emerging
flushes often show different colors such as purple or dark blue.
Then, over time, they mature into the classic silver-blue color shown
here. There are several similarly blue species of
Encephalartos that are of similar size. So, if you find
this species is too spiny for you, check out Encephalartos
lehmanii or princeps.

For those interested, here's a link to
an article I've written on this desirable cycad. It has
extensive information and photographs. Just click on this link:Encephalartos horridus

ARCHONTOPHOENIX PURPUREATHE PURPLE CROWN SHAFT KING PALMHaving just discussed Oraniopsis, I
thought I'd continue on to talk about the other predominant species in
the Mt. Lewis area of Queensland, Australia. Archontophoenix
purpurea is known for the purple color to the crown shaft. It is
found at an elevation up to 4000 feet. Mature height is quoted to be
over fifty feet, but in habitat and culture I didn't see one this
tall. For types of King Palms, this species is stated to have the
thickest trunk. I don't think I agree with this and feel A.
maxima is thicker. Most I've seen have a trunk diameter of
twelve inches or somewhat more. The crown shaft is a bit bulging.
Below I'd like to state some of my observations about this species.
I'm going to number them for easy viewing:

1. It is NOT the most cold hardy of the King Palm group. 25 degrees
F. will definitely burn it and lower temps will kill it. Two decades
ago people said it was the most cold hardy. This is not true.
2. The degree of purple color you see in the crown shaft is quite
variable. If you see a picture of one with an intense purple color
like on grape candy, it is probably "photo-shopped". Only once have I
seen anything like this where the color is brilliantly purple. Expect
a light purple or reddish hue, which is much more common. Sometimes
they are more green than any other color. And, you won't see the
purple color when they are juvenile. They have to have some trunk
height before it can be seen. So, when you buy one you just have to
wait for the color.
3. A good way to recognize this species as a juvenile nursery plant
is from the yellowish color to the stem and petiole. (see photos).
Also, the underside of the leaves are intensely silver as shown here.
The crown shaft is green on young plants.
4. There are only two species of King Palms which have ramenta (small
hair-like fibers) on the underside of the leaflets. These are the
A. cunninghamiana and A. purpurea. So, check the
underside of the leaves. If you see ramenta and they are silver, you
are looking at an A. purpurea. (see 7th photo below). One
of the photos below shows this species in fruit.

Pictures here are an assortment of nursery plants, domestically grown
plants and habitat specimens. If you live in an area that doesn't get
below the mid-twenties, it is a fun species to grow.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2012

ENCEPHALARTOS ALTENSTEINIIAN IMPRESSIVE SPECIES FOR LANDSCAPEThis
medium to large green, South African species can become a very
impressive statement in the landscape. With trunks up to fifteen
feet and crown width of ten to fourteen feet, it is sizeable and
stately. Native to the Eastern Cape region of South Africa, this
species is prized for collections in botanical gardens across the planet.
Garden enthusiasts love it as well because it is a good growing
species that can tolerate hot sun and is fairly cold hardy.

Leaves are green and up to eight feet long. Leaflet edges,
especially on smaller plants, have small prickles. I've found one of
the best ways to spot this species is to inspect the base of the leaf
stem, right where it meets the caudex, and look for an area with no
spines of prickles. This bare area of stem can be six to twelve
inches long. It is typical of E. altensteinii. At
this location you could harmlessly grab the petiole without getting
stuck. Although not the only species with this trait, it helps
you with ID'ing it. Cold hardiness is into the low 20's F..
Desert areas may need protection from full sun.

Shown here is an impressive 10 gallon plant with about a 12 inch
trunk. Also shown are larger boxed specimens and a 5g plant.
The garden photos show how impressive a mature specimen appears.
We have an excellent supply of Encephalartos altensteinii from small
seedlings to coning sized plants.

ENCEPHALARTOS TRANSVENOSUS
AN EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE LANDSCAPE CYCADMany people think of cycads only as
smaller, companion type plants for the garden. This is not true.
Many are quite competitive with larger palms. Encephalartos
transvensosus, native to north eastern parts of the Republic of South
Africa and most famously to the Modjadji Forest Reserve, is a huge,
impressive plant that takes on the characteristics of a larger palm
tree. Trunks have been known to get over 35 feet tall with crown
widths of twelve to fourteen feet. And, trunks are over two feet
thick. The very last photo below shows old specimens from
habitat in the Modjadji forest. Granted, cycads are usually
slower growing than cycads, but old mature specimens are spectacular
landscape items.

Leaflets of this species are usually dark green, sometimes with a glaucous tint,
almost like over-sprayed white paint had frosted them. Suckering
can occur. E. transvenosus is cold hardy to about 22 degrees and
does perfectly in full sun along the coast. Desert areas may
require part day sun. Shown here is an impressive large plant
with a 20 inch caudex in a 15g pot. Also shown are an assortment
of sizes as well as an impressive specimen with a child sitting on an
old decumbent trunk. If you want something different that is a
very majestic and impressive plant, consider this species. We
have all sizes available.

E. transvensosus with new
throw of leaves

EASY TO SHIP CYCADS
FIVE GALLON AND CITRUS POT SIZESToday I thought I'd quickly show you some cycads
that are in very easy to ship containers. When you start with a
seedling, you definitely have years to go before you see a landscape
ready plant. With the five gallon/citrus pot size, you have a plant
that is of adequate size for the garden yet doesn't cost an arm and a
leg to ship. As most people know, we are a certified grower and can
ship plants in their containers directly to any of the states in the
U.S. Doing this rather than bare rooting means you'll have less
immediate losses and you won't have the almost guaranteed one year set
back that you see when plants are bare rooted. Below I'll make
minimal comments on the species and show a citrus pot/5g plant and a
mature specimen to the right. It's designed for quick viewing. I
hope you enjoy these photos. I'm just randomly picking some species.
If you are interested in obtaining any cycads of this size, just give
me a call. We can usually ship plants within 24 hours via Federal
Express. We have about 100 different species of cycads in this size
for sale. I can actually send email photos of the exact plant you'd
be receiving if you prefer.

Encephalartos trispinosusA blue South African species that likes heat and
sun. As a mature plant it is small to medium in size.

Encephalartos natalensisAnother South African cycad but green in color.
It makes a medium to large plant as shown and prefers full sun in
coastal areas.

Stangeria eriopusA very different appearing type of cycad from
South Africa. It has a fern-like appearance, is a dwarf type of plant
and prefers filtered light in most areas.

Lepidozamia peroffskyanaA large species of cycad that has softer,
unarmed leaflets and leaves. It can get a large spread of leaves. In
most areas it prefers filtered light but can take full sun along the
coast.

Ceratozamia hildaeA dwarf Mexican cycad that has leaves typically
not over four feet long and prefers filtered light in the garden.

Dioon merolaeA very beautiful Mexican species that is slow
growing, takes years to get 3 feet of trunk, prefers full sun in most
areas and has a medium sized crown.

Dioon eduleThis is a small to medium sized cycad from
Mexico that is probably the most cold hardy of all cycads and the most
able to take hot desert sun.

Encephalartos lehmaniiThis is a very desirable species from South
Africa that's mature size ranges from small to medium. The color is
intensely blue with no side barbs on the leaflets. It prefers heat
and full sun in most areas. Desert culture would be part day sun.

Cycas thouarsiiThis is a medium to sometimes tall species of
cycad from the Island of Madagascar. It is quick growing and prefers
filtered light or sometimes full sun along the coast.

Macrozamia communisThis is a medium sized Australia species that
gets about eight feet tall and is fairly cold hardy. It prefers full
sun except in the hotter desert areas.

Encephalartos transvenosusThis South African species will, over many
decades of growth, get extremely large with substantial vertical trunk
as shown in the habitat picture to the right. It prefers full sun
along the coast.

Zamia standleyiThis is one of many tropical Zamias
that we grow. This species is a medium sized plant, exotic, and
prefers filtered light.

Zamia muricataThis is another tropical Zamia but from
Venezuela. It has a bit of cold hardiness and likes filtered light.
In the right areas, it is easy to grow.

Dioon mejiaeThis is a medium sized cycad that comes from
Mexico and parts of Central America. It tends to throw upright leaves
that emerge soft and fuzzy. It is best grown in less than full sun,
even along the coast.

HOWEA BELMOREANAThis umbrella shaped species is from the
island of Lord Howe and is in the same
family as the Kentia Palm. However, there
are striking differences, mostly in the
appearance of the leaves and crown. This
species has a curve of the leaves toward the
ground, giving it the umbrella shaped crown.
It is also a bit more cold hardy, possibly to
as low as 24 degrees. It can take full sun
along the coast and wants protection inland.
Shown here is a super 15g plant as well as
very nice sized 1g. The specimen photo
demonstrates the shape of the crown of
leaves. The larger containerized palm is to
the right is about seven feet tall. We have
an excellent selection of large one gallon plants.
The largest of these are over two feet tall and
easily shipped. The price on these 1g is $40 for
the smaller and $45 for the larger. Some of the
latter plants would be considered large for
a 5g plant.

LIGULARIALigularia is an
interesting group of
plants coming from Europe, Asia and
Africa. There are many different species
in this genus. The ones we sell are second
and third generation plants from our own
stock. They have a Lily Pad type of leaves
and produce yellow daisy-like blossoms in
the Fall. They prefer some protection from
the full sun and can grow in filtered light.
They do like moisture and can be considered
an "indicator plant" that tells you when your
soil is getting dry. They'll droop over. If you
then give them some water, they bounce
right back up by morning. They are easy to
grow if you keep them adequately watered.
We have affordable smaller sizes for sale.
If you start with a few plants, over time and
with vegetative propagation, you can have
many colonies of nice size plants. They are
a great companion plant and ideal for parkways
by the street. We should have one and two
gallon plants available for sale. We have
nice 1g plants for $25. We also recently
have available a limited number of a rare
species with ruffled leaf edges. (see last photo)

Photo by RT

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2012

CARYOTA KIRIWONGENSIS
ALMOST EXTINCT AND MASSIVE FISHTAILBy report, there are only about two
dozen specimens of this species in existence in southern Thailand.
Original descriptions of this species were submitted by Don Hodel,
taxonomist from California. This is a massive Fishtail Palm and
would put Caryota gigas to shame with its size. It is
supposed to get well over 100 feet tall with trunks three feet in
diameter. Little is known about this palm by collectors.
There are ONLY a hand full of plants being grown worldwide by collectors or
in botanical gardens. Internet searches fail to show you much
information about Caryota kiriwongensis. It is felt to
be most closely related to Caryota obtusa, but seeds share
characteristics of C. ophiopellis and zebrina.

As most of you know, Caryotas are monocarpic palms. A
plant has to die in order to get seeds. Well, if there are only
a few in the wild and one died to give seeds, that could potentially
leave even less plants in the wild. This puts a huge
responsibility on the person growing this species. You have to
make sure it survives.

By report, it'll take temperatures down to about a freeze, but this is
not documented. It does get very large, so you have to give it
room. I have one or perhaps two of these for sale. They
are big one gallon plants and not inexpensive. The only picture
I could find of a large plant was by Tobias Spanner who distributed
the seeds. I apologize that I cannot show more pictures of
native plants at this time. But, to read more you could
reference Don Hodel's book on the Palms of Thailand.

photo by Tobias Spanner

DYPSIS DECIPIENS
SUPER SILVER &
DYPSIS DECIPIENS RED
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?As with
many species of palms from Madagascar, it seems that they represent
more of a "complex" than an exact species with a consistent
appearance. By this I mean, if
you pick a species like, let's say, Dypsis baronii, you'd think they'd
all look alike. But, this is not true. Some sucker, others
don't. Some have silver crown shafts, others are green or
yellow. Some have droopy leaves, others are upright. Thus,
we have a "complex" where we'd call it a Dypsis baronii, but recognize
there are lots of variations within that species.

Such is the case with Dypsis decipiens. Some sucker, some don't.
Some have green crown shafts, others have silver. Some have
plumose leaves, others are flat. And, some even have a blue
color to the leaves. There is one form of Dypsis decipiens
that
most collectors feel is most desirable. And, it's the one with
the silver crown shaft. This variety is called "super silver" or
"decipiens red". This is what I'm showing this morning. It
has a definite red color to the newly emerging spear and sometimes the
petiole and leaf (see photos here). And, over time, the crown shaft becomes brilliantly
silver as shown in the pictures.

I would say all forms of D.decipiens are similar in culture and growth.
They are fairly cold hardy into the low 20's F. They like to be
reared in less than full sun when young but then exposed to full sun
when larger, especially along the coast. They do not like the
combination of cold and wet; rot may develop. For all, growth
rate is very slow. it takes 6 years for me to grow a standard 5g
plant. The last photo of a plant in the ground is a "super
silver form" from the
garden of Mardi Darian in Vista, CA.

DYPSIS LUTESCENSARECA OR BUTTERFLY PALMWe
presently have available some very nice ten foot tall Dypsis
lutescens. This is a suckering species from Madagascar that
is medium sized, seldom over 18 feet in Southern California. It
has attractive, thin trunks with a prominent yellow color. This
color can extend into the leaf stems as well. It has a medium
growth rate. Along the coast, it prefers sun or very bright
filtered light. In inland areas it cannot take full sun.
Cold tolerance is into the mid-twenties F. We also have smaller
plants available.

photo by D.O.

photo by E.S.

DYPSIS SAINTLUCEIPOWDER WHITE CROWN SHAFTThis species is native to Madagascar
and is usually found as a single trunk specimen, although it can
sucker somewhat. Its most prominent characteristic is the powder
white crown shaft as shown here. It is medium sized, up to about
25 feet if well grown and has a six inch thick trunk. There is a
stunning contrast of dark red new spear against the white stem as shown in the
photos. Leaves are six feet long and upright. This
species is an easy palm to grow. It will tolerate sun along the
coast but needs some inland protection. Exact cold hardiness is
still being determined, but many have reported it grows into the
twenties F. I would highly recommend this species as it isn't
too big and is very attractive. The
nursery plant shown is a 15g size.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2012

CERATOZAMIA MIQUELIANAA BEAUTIFUL WIDE LEAFLET SPECIESThis small
to medium sized cycad species from the Veracruz area of Mexico has always
been one of my favorites. It's main hallmarks are that the trunk
is not large, the leaflets are wide and new leaves emerge with a
powdery blue-green color. Caudex size is usually not more than 8
inches across; height can be up to three feet but is typically much
shorter. Leaves are three
to five feet long, Leaflets are sometimes over 2.5 inches
wide but more typically a bit less than this. Newly emerging
leaves are blue-green secondary to a blue powder exuded by the
leaflets; this color persists for a while. This is a
filtered light species and usually gets yellow-green in full sun.
Cold tolerance is into the mid to low 20's F. It has a very
exotic appearance compared to many other Ceratozamia.

Shown to the right is a 25g containerized male plant. The cone
is spent. Below is a female cone. Shortly we will have
available seedlings of a very desirable wide leaf form of this
species. It is extremely rare to be able to purchase
Ceratozamia miqueliana, either seedlings or plants, so we hope
people interested take advantage of our offering of this great
species. .

DIOON SONORENSEThis medium sized cycad species is
from the region of Sonora, Mexico and hence the species name. It
grows there at elevations of two to three thousand feet in very hot
and dry conditions. It is often on mountain slopes or cliff-like
areas. Leaves are typically 3 feet long, upright and sometimes
twisted on their axis and leaflets are green to blue in color.
There are several forms of the species and one of the main differences
is the leaf color. As shown here, leaflets are thin and pointed.
Texture is fairly stiff to the touch. At one point, this species
was grouped together with Dioon tomasellii.

Culture includes full sun in most regions. It is possible that a
desert location could require part day sun. Good draining sandy
soil is preferred. Average watering is needed. Shown here
is a citrus pot sized plant and several garden specimens. We
have very limited numbers of these for sale.

Photo by JS

DIOON TOMASELLIIThis is a Dioon species from Mexico,
including
the Pacific Coast area. Formerly, there were two
species included with the name "tomasellii".
This included this species described here as
well as a variety from Sonora, D. tomasellii variety "sonorense". (above) The latter has more
recently
been given it's own species status and is
actually quite different appearing. Trunks on this
species never get too big. You'll probably not see
one over six feet tall. The hallmark of this species
are the leaflets which are narrow and lanceolate shaped.
The have a gentle curve downwards and for this reason
are called the "poor man's E. inopinus" because of a
similar leaflet shape and orientation. Although both
of these species are rare, Encephalartos inopinus is
almost impossible to find. Dioon tomasellii is a very
slow growing cycad. It likes heat. In habitat it is
usually seen in filtered light. Along the coast, some
have grown it in full sun. It throws new leaves
which are soft and furry. But, it may take several
years between throws of new leaves on large
specimens. Shown here are photos of 5g plants
which have taken me six years to produce. On the
close-up, look at how the leaflets have a gentle
downward curve to them, the hallmark of this
species. The last 2 pictures are of a 15g plant
and a very old specimen in a botanical garden.

HYOPHORBE INDICAA BEAUTIFUL MEDIUM SIZED PALMThis species of medium
sized palm from Reunion Island
has been grown by many successfully in Southern CA.
It doesn't get too tall (about 20 ft), likes full sun and
tolerates temperatures into the mid 20's F.
When young some varieties show a red-brown
color to the stem and base. In addition to not being
very large in height, it also has a rather thin trunk as
you can see below. It is pinnate and crown shafted..
It is also a quick grower. Shown here are some
oversized 5g plants with chunky bases. I only have
a few of these. Also shown is that boxed specimen.
Trunk size is thin, perhaps six to eight inches.
This species prefers heat and sun along the coast.
It would qualify as a short to medium sized palm
but is very quick growing to reach an overhead
size. These 5g plants have been outdoors for
approximately 3 years and have seen 27 to 28
degrees already. They are ready for the garden!
5g plants are $75, very good sized. Also shown
are some 15g & boxed specimens. I think the red and
green form are comparable in terms of cold
tolerance. Note the color variation in the photos.
Remember to give this plant full sun. Theonly plants
I've lost are those put outdoors in shade. Like the
Bottle and Spindle Palm, this species likes full sun

The last photo below is Hyophorbe verschafeltii, the
Spindle Palm. I am posting this photo just to remind
you that H. indica is in the same family and does
share some common characteristics.. Of course,
we have both of these species for sale as well as the
popular Bottle Palm.

Hyophorbe indica by Tobias Spanner RPS

Related species, Hyophorbe verschafeltii,
The Spindle Palm

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012

TODAY, A LOOK AT RHOPALOSTYLISI thought this morning I'd do a
presentation on the the Shaving Brush Palms. I'm doing this here,
various species/varieties together, so you can compare them individually.
I have not included here all the varieties that are available, but this will
serve as a good introduction to the majority of Rhopalostylis that
you will see. I hope that
you enjoy this group of palms and like seeing all of the photos.

RHOPALOSTYLIS SAPIDASHAVING BRUSH PALM
FEATHER DUSTER PALMThis species is probably the first species that
you'll encounter with the genus Rhopalostylis. So, it's
a nice palm to start with. All
Rhopaolstylis species are from New Zealand. R. sapida
has the most upright leaves of all the species and gets to about 25
feet height. Such heights may take several decades. When I think of
this species, I remember mostly the upright leaves and the thick,
bulging crown shaft. Rhopalostylis sapida would also be on
most people's top twenty list. It can tolerate full sun if you are
within five to eight miles of the ocean in Southern CA. Most people
in other areas give it morning sun or filtered light. In the garden,
getting any significant trunk from a nursery plant may take five to
seven years. Cold tolerance is about 22 or 23 degrees F. I recently
saw some wonderful specimens of this species in the SF Bay area. The
most common mistake is giving it too much sun if you live in a hot
area. Shown here are an assortment of nursery plants we have for
sale. Also shown are photos to demonstrate the two main
characteristics of this species: upright leaves and bulging crown
shaft.

25 gallon size

5 gallon size

15g size

RHOPALOSTYLIS BAUERINORFOLK ISLAND PALMThe genus of Rhopalostylis are all
from the main or surrounding islands of the country of New Zealand.
All species within this genus are single trunk, pinnate and crown
shafted palms. All are very attractive and all (for crown shafted
palms) are surprisingly cold hardy. Rhopalostylis baueri
gets to a mature height of potentially over forty feet, although this
is rarely seen. It has green leaves, a trunk diameter of about eight
to twelve inches and a crown shaft that is green in color. The leaves
tend to be re-flexed downward to some degree; i.e., they are curved
and hang down.

Many people get Rhopalostylis sapida and Rhopalostylis
baueri mixed up and can't tell them apart. I will make three
comparisons here so you can tell which species you are looking at.
First, the crown of leaves of the R. sapida is more upright.
If you look at the third photo (immediately below this text), you will
note that the majority of leaves point strongly upward with sapida.
Now look at the second picture to the right of R. baueri.
Note how the crown is fuller and hangs down? Also note that the
leaves are curved more than with sapida. Even in potted
plants, the leaf appearance and differences are apparent between these
two species.

Another difference is in the thickness or bulging on the crown shaft.
Rhopalostylis sapida has a much more prominent bulge than
baueri. The fifth photograph shows a baueri that has a
crown shaft that is hardly thicker than the trunk. The next photo
shows how R. sapidas crown shaft is much thicker than the
trunk. Sometimes this is almost comical in how the crown shaft is so
large. Another difference is that the petiole and leaf stem of
R. sapida tends to be a gray color whereas baueri is a
rusty brown color. This is sometimes quite subtle. If you are
comparing mature trees, Rhopalostylis sapida has longer
leaves and the overall height of the tree is shorter, seldom over
twenty-five feet.

We have a great selection of both species for sale. In terms of
growth, I've found that R. baueri doesn't tolerate as much
sun as sapida. But, in inland locations, neither tolerate
full sun. R. baueri does best in part day sun (morning) or
filtered light. Both are cold hardy into the low 20's F. or possibly
even into the upper teens. Both species grow quite well in San
Francisco.

The last photograph is of Rhopalostylis baueri in my garden.
I am looking down from a deck at a very old tree. Note the thin crown
shaft, the green trunk (maintains this color when in shade) and the
faint brown color in the leaf petiole.

Rhopalostylis sapida (not baueri)

Rhopalostylis sapida crown shaft

RHOPALOSTYLIS CHEESEMANIIRhopalostylis cheesemanii is from
Roul Island as opposed to Norfolk Island. It reportedly has darker
brown tomentum on the crown shaft and petioles compared to R.
baueri and the fruits are larger in size. But, the most
remarkable thing is that some enthusiasts have noticed is that it is a
more aggressive grower in Southern California. In fact, opposed to
R. baueri, it has been known to do quite well in full sun
right along the coast. One of our staff, Rusty, swears by this
species and thinks it's far superior to other Rhopalostylis.
In his yard it has grown at a phenomenal rate. The pictures here show
the dark petioles/color. I have limited photos of larger plants. Be
aware that many people feel this should be considered a sub-variety of
Rhopalostylis baueri. The last photo is from my garden,
looking down from above the palm. You can appreciate the darker crown
shaft on this photo. Of note, this species is the one that people
recently have referred to as having the "purple crown shaft". This
purple color has been reported from customers who previously bought
this species from us. You can compare the color with the R. baueri
above.

RHOPALOSTYLIS SAPIDA LITTLE BARRIER ISLAND VARIETYThis variety of Rhopalostylis sapida
comes from a small island off the coast of New Zealand called "Little
Barrier Island". This island is about fifty miles off the coast from
Auckland. It is not to be confused with other islands like Chatham
Island, which is much further out from the main island. Tourists and
enthusiasts cannot visit Little Barrier Island. It is a plant and
game reserve. So, getting seeds from this location is no easy feat.
The Rhopalostylis from Little Barrier Island are known to be
faster growing with larger trunks and bigger crown shafts. But,
reports are that this feature is variable on where the plants are
growing there. Those in full sun have bigger crown shafts. But, it
is noted, that full sun can burn the leaves a bit. Shown here are
pictures of a 5g and 15g of this species. I'm also posting two photos
from a friend of mine, Tobias Spanner, of this rarely seen "species".
Most consider this to be a varietal form of sapida. Cold hardiness is
reportedly into the low 20's f. and I'd recommend growing it in part
day sun. Inland areas may require filtered light or morning sun
only. We only have a few of these for sale.

The photos here by Tobias Spanner show the appearance of this variety
of Shaving Brush in the wild.

Photo by Tobias Spanner RPS

Photo by Tobias Spanner RPS

A 15 gallon sized plant

Rhopalostylis spida in my garden

RHOPALOSTYLIS SAPIDA X BAUERI AN INTERESTING AND HARDY HYBRID

At various points throughout
this blog I have talked about hybrid palms. One certainly sees
this with Shaving Brush Palms.
Plants in front of you don't seem to key out specifically to one
species. So, I am going to talk about this hybrid with some
plants that we have at the nursery.

Recently, a palm enthusiast brought by several
sun grown plants he said were "Rhopalostylis sapida".
However, on inspection I found that they are not Rhopalostlis
sapida but rather a hybrid with Rhopalostylisbaueri.
I am going to show you here the differences and why I came to
this conclusion.
.
1. The leaves of these plants are not totally upright but rather have
a little curve to them. In other words, they are not a stiff in an
upright manner as what I expect of R. sapida..
2. The stems and petioles are not gray like sapida, but sort
of brown. R. baueri are definitely a red-brown color.
3. The leaflets are softer than R. sapida. Sapida
leaflets are a bit thinner and stiffer than baueri.

I'll compare these three side by side here. Of interest is the fact
that the hybrids were grown totally in full sun since small. Note
that the sapida leaves are more upright as shown below. The
base of the petiole is more gray than brown on sapida. And
the leaflets are stiffer. You can see how the hybrid is sort of like
a blend of sapida and baueri. with somewhat curved
leaves and gray-brown petioles. But, it's exactly like either adult.
So, for this reason, I feel they are hybrids. Of note, these hybrids
came from the garden of Mardy Darian in Vista, CA, from seed. He has
both adults in his garden. In the last row below, I apologize that i
don't have a close up of the baueri base, but trust me that
they are brown, sometimes even dark brown; not gray.

I've found R. sapida to be the best for sun. So, these
hybrids probably got some sun tolerance from the sapida
parent. Also, some people feel that these hybrids are more vigorous
growers; the "hybrid vigor" sort of thing. I suspect mature height of
these will be about 25 feet. Cold hardiness will be into the low 20's
F. If you are right along the coast, full sun would be fine.\

RHOPALOSTYLIS HYBRID

RHOPALOSTYLIS SAPIDA

RHOPALOSTYLIS BAUERI

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2012

CHAMAEDOREA BENZEI X
WARSCEWICZIIAN INTERESTING CHAMAEDOREA HYBRID The
purpose of this thread is not particularly to promote the particular
hybrid I'm showing this morning. Rather, it is meant more to remind you that many
palms hybridize quite easily. Chamaedorea would be such
a genus. Phoenix is notorious for hybridization.
For this to occur, you are typically talking about a palm that is
dioecious, i.e. there are both sexes. A female plant of such a
genus gets pollen from a male of the same genus, but a different
species.. Intergeneric hybrids do occur (Mule Palm, Foxy Lady, etc.), but
crosses between species are many times more common.

This hybridization can occur by wind dispersion of the pollen or by
crawling/flying insects such as bees and ants. When you have a
dioecious species, you can count on the fact that Nature provided,
most likely, an insect to transfer the pollen in habitat. But,
we as gardeners may not have the right insects in the garden to accomplish this.
Therefore, sometimes a human hand is needed with hybridization.
But, when you have a female plant that gives viable seeds and there
are no males of the species nearby, you can almost be assured that
hybridization has occurred.

Such is the case with the hybrid shown today which is between a female Chamaedorea
benzei and a male C. warscewiczii. In the garden
where both plants were located, there were no other Chamaedoreas
whatsoever. And, none known to be around within at least a
block. So, logic tells you that the male pollen from the
warscewiczii somehow got to the benzei blossom.
They were about ten feet apart.
And, the resulting juvenile plant from the seeds produced seems to fit the expected appearance of this
cross. The base looks more like benzei and the large
terminal leaflets more like warscewiczii. Hybrid
Chamaedoeas can sometimes be real winners. Many remember
the famous "Irving Cantor" cross from 30 years ago that is a fabulous suckering palm.
If you get yourself a nice selection of Chamaedorea species
in the garden, you can really have fun manually creating hybrids that have
never been known to exist. And, of note, there are palm experts
that seem to spend half their lives on ladders, playing with flowers
and pollen and trying to get the most amazing hybrids. If you
are so inclined, making hybrid palms can be a lot of fun.

Chamaedorea benzei

Chamaedorea warscewiczii by Colin Wilson

DIOON MEJIAEAN ATTRACTIVE MEDIUM SIZED CYCADFor many
people, Dioon mejiae is one of their favorite cycads.
It doesn't get too large, it has a very attractive crown of leaves,
and newly emerging leaves are soft, fuzzy and so inviting. They
are almost like a baby rabbit's foot.

Native to southern Mexico and Honduras, this species is similar to
Dioon sinulosum. But, unlike the spinulosum,
leaflets do not have the spines on the leaflet edges. And, the
leaflets appear slightly different shaped. Leaves are four to
six feet long, trunks typically under five feet although old habitat
plants have trunks over twenty feet, and new leaves emerge vertically.
Although they are soft at emergence, they eventually become straight
and flat with firm leaflets.. Seeds of this species are large and tan
in color.

I've found this cycad does best in part day sun or strong filtered
light. Right on the coast, some grow it in full sun. But,
I've found this creates more of a lime colored green cycad. For
this reason, I prefer filtered light. It likes good draining
soil and will tolerate temperatures into the low 20's F. Shown
her are some larger nursery plants as well as garden specimens.
We have all sizes of this species for sale.

CARYOT URENSSUPER TALL, SUPER FAST GROWINGFor most,
this is probably the fastest growing species that you could add to
your garden. And, it is not unusual for this species to get over
sixty feet tall! It is one of the most successful species for
establishing a canopy. It is not unusual to put in a standard
15g sized Caryota urens and have a plant that's over thirty
feet tall in three or four years. It's natural habitat stretches
from the India region to northern Thailand. Trunk diameter is 12 to 18
inches and the color is white. There is tomentom on the trunk.
If you scratch this tomentum or write your name, it'll be there for
the life of the palm.

This is a multipinnate palm with long wide leaves. It's canopy
produces a lot of shade. It responds to good draining soil and
adequate water. Because of it's height, strong hurricane type
winds can blow this species over to the ground. Shown here are
several sixteen foot specimens in 25 gallon containers. We also
have big 15g for sale. Compared to Caryota gigas, this
is a much taller tree with a thinner trunk. Also, growth rate is
faster. As it is a monocarpic species, anticipate a life of
about twenty years. Blossoming occurs prior to the plant's
dying. It takes about four to five years for the blossoming
cycle to end. An ample number of black seeds usually result and
you can grow another one with your seeds. (see photos of
blossoms and seeds). The last photo demonstrates how tall this
species can grow. In my garden, one got to approximately 80
feet.

Caryota urens in blossom

Also note blossoms hanging on this tree

RAVENEA SAMBIRANENSISThis species of Ravenea is from both
the west and eastern sides of the Island of Madagascar. It was named
after a river on the island. It is a large and elegant pinnate palm
with heights reportedly up to one hundred feet. Trunk diameter is one
foot. It grows at elevations from sea level to six thousand feet in
both dry and moist native habitats. When younger, this species has
flat erect leaves that go straight upwards. However, with age, this
species produces leaves that are keeled and curve downwards at the
ends. When mature the overall crown is hemispherical with the leaves
in the upper portion of the circle. Because of its large size, this
plant should be consider a major landscape item and not a companion
plant. The only habitat photo I have is #5 below. From this photo,
you can see how large this species will become.

I have a limited number of five gallon plants for sale. They should
be grown in an area where they can work their way from strong filtered
light into full sun. Cold hardiness is into the mid-twenties F. They
like moisture but need good draining soil. The last photo below is a
juvenile tree, picture taken by T.S. from RPS. This is a difficult
species to find. But, there are enthusiasts in Southern California
growing it with no problems.

Ravenea sambiranensis
by T.S. at RPS

CYCAS TAITUNGENSISTHE EMPEROR CYCAD
A Very Cold Hardy CycadCycas taitungensis is a species of
cycad from China and Taiwan. It used to be known as Cycas
taiwaniana. In fact, some reference books around still refer to
it by this name. But, Loran Whitelock points out in his book, The
Cycads, that there has historically been confusion between the
plants collected under the names "Cycas taiwaniana" and "Cycas
taitungensis". Regardless, as we stand today this species is
formally known as Cycas taitungensis.

It is a medium to large cycad with trunk diameter of twelve to
eighteen inches and height of ten feet. It is known as the Emperor
Cycad. This name was coined by a nursery several decades ago trying
to market this species. It is similar to a Sago Palm but with some
noted differences. The leaves are longer and wider than the C.
revoluta. They also tend to be flatter. The color is deep green.
Also, growth rate is much faster and cold hardiness is better than the
Sago. It is not unusual for this species to throw two or three sets of
leaves a year. In the crown area, the tomentum is a very prominent
orange color, a good clue as to the species. I think it's a bit more
tropical and lush appearing than the Sago Palm. There are reports of
this species easily tolerating mid-teen F. temperatures. Also, it
likes full sun except in desert areas.

Shown here is a nice boxed specimen of this species with about two
feet of trunk. We have several of these for sale. But, we also have
seedlings, 5g and 15g plants for sale. For someone in a cold area,
this is perhaps one of the first cycads you should consider.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2012

ARENGA MICRANTHATHE MOST COLD HARDY ARENGAThis species was totally
unknown to the nursery market until a relatively short time ago.
This is quite surprising as it is so cold hardy and a great plant for
so many areas. In it's native habitat in the Himalaya Mountains,
it regularly sees snow and freezing weather. Its native distribution
is from northern India to Tibet. It grows at altitudes well
above 6000 feet"

It is a suckering species and quite beautiful. It reaches a
height of twenty feet, has flat pinnate leaves, and has a prominent
white color to the back of the leaves. This white color is much
more prominent than seen with Arenga engleri and this species is more
cold hardy and larger. Its individual stems are about 6 inches
in diameter and the actual trunks get up to about twelve feet. In
Southern California, I would suggest filtered light locations.
It prefers to be watered adequately. As this is a new species,
the exact low temperature tolerance is unknown. But, we
anticipate it will be at least the low twenties or upper teens.
It is a hardy species to find and there are few photos of it on the
Net. Our supply is very limited. This is not surprising as
you can imagine the difficulty of collecting seeds. So, act
quickly on this one. The habitat photo below is by Tobias Spanner.

Photo by Tobias Spanner

CYCAS PANZHIHUAENSISONE OF THE MOST COLD HARDY CYCADSAs were were just talking about a cold
hardy Asian palm species, I thought I'd mention one of the most cold
hardy cycads from this same general part of the world. Cycas panzihuaensis
is from high elevation mountainous areas of
southern China. It comes from elevations above 6000 feet and can
tolerate snow. It is quite attractive and has many advantages
over the Sago Palm, Cycas revoluta. First, it is a smaller plant with stems
usually three to six feet tall. Secondly, it has a smaller
spread of the leaves, which are an interesting green with a blue sheen
to them. Also, it doesn't have quite the proclivity to make a
massive clump. Finally, the leaves are softer than the Sago and
cold hardiness may be even better. The hardest thing to remember
about "Cycas panzhihuaensis" is how to spell the name.
As of yet, it has no common name. Perhaps the "Chinese Sago"
would work. Cycas revoluta originates in Japan.

Leaf length is typically about 3 to 5 feet. Stem diameter is
about 6 to 8 inches, much thinner than the 18 - 24 inch Sago. It is
fairly rare to see in nurseries because of limited numbers of seeds
being available. It tolerates coastal full sun and can take
strong filtered light or part day sun. Cold tolerance is into
the upper teens. It is known to survive areas of the United
Kingdom. Over time, we feel this species has the potential to
replace the common Sago palm because of all of its desirable
characteristics.

CHAMBEYRONIA MACROCARPA
& HOOKERITHEIR BEAUTIFUL NEW RED LEAVESI thought I'd present something different and
interesting this morning. Most of you know that Chambeyronia
throw new red leaves. These leaves can sometimes be fire engine red,
other times pink, and sometimes a dark black-red burgundy wine color.
All are very beautiful and please most plant enthusiasts. This color
lasts ten to twenty days and then turns green. The color evolves
through a red-brown, then brown-green and finally into a green color
that you are use to seeing. Both Chambeyronia macrocarpa and
hookeri throw new red leaves. They'll usually display the red
leaf by a 5g size, but we've seen new red leaves in plants as small as
one gallon size. Unfortunately, about one in twenty plants will never
throw a new red leaf, much to the owner's disappointment. There's no
way of knowing beforehand if you have a "non-red-throwing"
Chambeyronia. Over the last year or two, if my camera is handy,
I've shot photos of red leaves around the nursery. I thought I would
share them with you here. And, Chambeyronia offers you
another treat: the seeds are big and red as well.

If you like this species, we have a good assortment of sizes from
seedlings to large 25g plants with trunk. We also have some
great 5g which are way oversized. They are equivalent in size to
an average 15g plant, yet in a 5g pot. Thus, they can be shipped
affordably right to your door. They make excellent interior
houseplants. See the photos below to see how nice they are. Price is
$95. The last photo, by long time acquaintance Ian Edwards, is
from PACSOA.

Photo by HJD

Chambeyronia macrocarpa new red leaf by Ian
Edwards, PACSOA

ENCEPHALARTOS WHITELOCKIIThis species was named in honor of noted cycad
authority and author, Loran Whitelock (The Cycads) from
Southern California. When I first heard of this specie's
availability, it was called the "Uganda Giant" cycad. It was
also known as "Laurentianus Lake George". Only years
later did it receive its published taxonomic name.

Native to Uganda, this long leaf cycad gets a trunk over ten feet tall
over many decades. It has long green leaves that can get up to
fourteen feet long. New leaves emerge in an upright position
making a "V-Shape" to the new crown of leaves. As future new
leaves emerge, older leaves will hand down and give a fuller look to
the crown of leaves. Leaves are flat or slightly keeled.
Leaflets are prominently toothed and up to twelve inches long and
about one inch wide.

This is a fast growing cycad that does well in Southern California.
Like other Central African species, it would prefer less than full sun
in most areas. I think this is because of our more arid
conditions with less humidity in the air. Grown in part day sun
or strong filtered light, this is an impressive and quick growing
species. It likes good draining soil. Cold hardiness
appears to easily be into the mid twenties F. and probably somewhat
lower. Shown here are citrus pot, 15g and boxed nursery plants.
We also have affordable band seedlings as well. If you look
closely at the next to last photo below, you will see a cone forming
on this Southern California plant. If you like cycads, this is a
definite addition to your garden!

COCCOTHRINAX MIRAGUAMA

This is a rather thin trunked fan palm native to
Cuba. It attains a height of typically twenty to thirty feet, rarely
taller. Below the crown of leaves is an attractive pattern of meshed
and woven fibers. The middle and base of the trunk are usually
woody. You will note the the leaves are prominently divided into
thin, long leaf segments. These leaves are held by a prominent
petiole. The dorsal color of the leaves is typically green with a
blue-green or sometimes silver color below. This species likes sun
and heat. Cold tolerance is into the upper twenties F.

In general, all Coccothrinax are slow growing plants. This
is especially true in container grown plants. In the ground they are
quicker growing. Shown here is a one gallon
Coccothirnax miraguama var. havanensis. a
variety native to a specific area of Cuba. Also shown are C.
miraguama in
domestic plantings. For the garden, Coccothrinax are nice
species to grow because they take sun and heat and don't take up too
much room. As you can see, the crowns of leaves are not large. And,
they are strikingly different than anything else you'd be growing. We
have various species of this genus for sale in a variety of species.

ORANGE PHILODENDRON HYBRIDThank goodness for the meristem
culture boys. They are always hybridizing and developing something unreal and
shocking. With this said, check out this Philodendron
hybrid that does indeed have newly emerging orange leaves. They turn
to green over time, but what a shocking color to add to the garden.
Plants available in 5g size.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2012

CEROXYLON SPECIESTALL, SOUTH AMERICAN PALMSThere
are a lot of reasons that palm enthusiasts love the genus of
Ceroxylon. For starters, they are rare and you don't see
them that often. This allures collectors. They are tall
and rather thin for their height. But, the trunks are gorgeous.
Almost all are light in color (near white) with prominent rings (see
photos). Another interesting characteristic is the silver color
to the underside of the leaves. Three photos here demonstrate
this glaucous nature. People also appreciate their very tall
trunks. Some species get well above 100 feet and are known as
the tallest palms in the world. Finally, for being so beautiful,
they are remarkably cold hardy. some species will survive
temperatures into the teens F. It is well known that they thrive
up in Northern California.

About two years ago we were loaded with these rare palms. We
have about eight species up to 20g size. Well, those days are
over. Now we are down to the a much smaller supply. Shown
here are some nursery plants, various species. All are desirable
and worth trying. I've found that starting these plants in
filtered light and letting them "work their way" up into the sun has
worked for most. They do like good draining soil and adequate
moisture. Santa Ana winds are hard on them and letting their
roots go dry might do them in. Remember that these are cloud
forest plants that grow to altitudes of nearly 10,000 feet in habitat,
so it is no surprise they like moisture and water.. .

If you like this genus, give one a try while we still have them
available. .

Ceroxylon alpinum

Ceroxylon alpinum

Ceroxylon species

Ceroxylon species

Ceroxylon amizonicum

Ceroxylon species

Certoxylon sp. trunk

Ceroxylon amizonicum by TS

Ceroxylon quinduiense

Ceroxylon sp. trunk by JS

Ceroxylon species

ALLOSCHMIDTIA GLABRATAAKA BASSELINIA GLABRATAThis
is a thin trunk, crown shafted understory palm from New Caledonia.
It is rare and highly sought after by collectors. It does well
for us in Southern California if it gets enough moisture in the air
and ground water. It likes good draining, rich soil.
Maximum height is about twenty feet. It is definitely an
understory palm and cannot tolerate full sun. The crown shaft is
quite long for the thin nature of the trunk; it has a mild bulge in
its shape an is prominently green in color. The leaves are about
four to five feet long. Cold tolerance appears to be in the
mid-twenties F., perhaps a bit lower (data limited). Shown here
are several 15g plants and a few pictures from habitat.

ARCHONTOPHOENIX TUCKERIThis species of King Palm is the most northern
of all the species, coming from Queensland and named after the founder
of the Townsville Palmetum in Australia. It is a tall palm with trunk
height of up to fifty feet. The crown shaft, as shown, is a nice
green color. Sometimes slightly red new leaves emerge. Enthusiasts
in Southern California have found this to be not only an attractive
species to grow but also very robust in its growth habit. The
underside of the leaves are silver. Cold tolerance is into the
mid-twenties F. and it can take coastal sun or part day sun inland.
We were lucky to recently get in some chunky, sun grown 5g plants as
shown. We only have a limited number.

For those who think all King Palms are alike, this is not true. They
are similar, but not the same. Different species show different crown
shaft colors, different leaf appearances and most importantly,
different mature sizes. Why these other very exciting species haven't
really made it into the trade is perplexing.

CRYOSOPHILA ALBIDATHE STAR PALMThe genus of Cryosophila consists of
about nine species from Mexico south
through Central America and into northern
South America. This is a fan palm of medium
size with prominent white color to the underside
of the leaves. The trunks are thin and show
some modified spines that can form aerial roots
if given enough time. This is a very attractive
palm. This species, also known as Cryosophila
warscewiczi, prefers AM sun or filtered light
and has potential to get to 30 feet height. It is
somewhat cold hardy, probably into the mid-
twenties F. Shown here is a 5g plant with one
shot showing the intense white underside of the
leaf. Below is a photo by HJD of one showing
this white color. The last photo is a shot of an
undetermined species of this genus, showing
its overall size.

CLINOSTIGMA SAVORYANUMTHE PACIFIC BEAUTY PALMWe've discussed this palm previously, but
because
it's so beautiful, I thought it merited another mention.
This exotic single trunk, crown-shafted species
comes from Bonin Island near Japan. It has been
proven possible to grow this species in warmer
areas of Southern California. It is very exotic
appearing with a prominent green crown shaft.
Interestingly, there are several species ofClinostigma that can be grown here. Clinostigma savoryana can potentially get to
a height of 30 feet or more and prefers a sunny
location. Cold tolerance is down to about a
freeze.

Clinostigma is a very exotic pinnate palm and would
be one of the more exotic and unusual of palm
types possible in this area. Shown here are a 5g and
15g plant from our nursery. Also shown are a
variety of sizes of domestic plants in Southern
California. The sixth picture shows a Clinostigma.
I am not sure of the species name of this plant, but
it is definitely an exotic specimen. BTW, I was just
at an enthusiast's garden yesterday in Encinitas, CA
and saw a gorgeous ten foot plant doing great.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2012

ARENGA PINNATATHE SUGAR PALMAs many of you know, Arengas are
usually suckering palms. But, there are several single trunk
species. Arenga pinnata is one of these. It is felt to be
native to Indonesia and is a large palm. It is a pinnate palm with a
fibrous trunk made from woven fibers. Overall height is forty to
fifty feet and the trunk gets to a diameter of two feet. The leaves
are held upright and can be over twenty feet long. The leaflets, like
all Arenga, has jagged terminal ends. This is a monocarpic
species and will die when the plant flowers. Other suckering Arenga
has new trunks to replace dying flowering trunks. But, since this
species has only one trunk, like a Caryota it will be gone a
few years after the flowers appear. The Sugar Palm is a full sun
species with cold tolerance into the mid-twenties F. Shown here are
some 5g nursery plants and photos of mature specimens. Note the woven
material on the trunk. It is very interesting to see in person.

CHAMAEDOREA ALTERNANSThis is a thin trunked, solitary stem species of
shade loving palm that comes from the eastern
coast of Mexico. It gets to a height of about
ten feet or a bit more. The trunks are approximately
one inch in diameter and have an interesting
characteristic where (often) multiple flower spikes
emerge at a single leaf nodes along the stem. See the
photo below. The leaflets are broad and green.
Shown here are an assortment of various sized
plants with close-ups to demonstrate this species.
It is closely related to Chamaedorea tepejilote.
It prefers filtered light and is cold hardy into the
mid twenties F. We have a variety of sizes on this
hard to find species. It is ideal for a thin strip area
where there is not too much room for planting.

CHAMAEDOREA TEPEJILOTE

This is a very attractive
single trunk Chamaedorea whose
natural habitat spreads from Mexico through Central America and down
into northern South America. It is most commonly seen as a
single trunk species, but a suckering species does exist. As a
single trunk species, it is quite tall, getting up to 20 feet or more.
The trunk is thick and even gets up to three inches. The leaves
are long and somewhat flexed toward the ground with a length of four
to five feet. The leaflets can be up to two feet long, have an
"S" shape coming to a point, a flat in cross section and dark green in
color. Likewise, the trunks are very dark green with prominent
white rings. An interesting thing is that almost always one sees
a faint yellow stripe down the dorsal side of the petiole and rachis.
This can help identify this species but is also seen in other species.
The blossoms are large and branched. A male blossom can explode
with pollen, almost like a cloud of dust. Pollination usually
occurs without assistance if males and female plants are nearby.
The inflorescent of this species are edible. The seeds are dark
black in color (when mature) on orange bracts.

This species is easy to grow, cold tolerant into
the mid to upper twenties F, and likes only shade. Direct
sunlight will burn it. It is an excellent houseplant if one has
enough overhead room. Compared to C. alternans, it is a
more powerful plant with a thicker and taller trunk. It is also
another species where planting more than one plant per pot is very
attractive. One photo shows the suckering species with a tiny
sucker at the stem base.

BRAHEA DECUMBENSBlue, Suckering, Dwarf, & Cold-HardyWe have available a few of the 5g size of this
fabulous dwarf palm that turns blue as it gets older. It has to be at
least 5 g size and in the direct sun to get the blue color. Native to
Mexico, this rare and hard to find species is perfect for people who
see cold temperatures in the mid to upper teens F. They never get
over about six feet tall and are definitely blue when larger. Shown
is an example of one for sale. We have voth one gallon and 5g for
sale. They like sun and take temperatures down to about 17 degrees
F. Enthusiast can use them in locations close to a walkway because
they don't get too massive. Of note, their growth rate is steady but
slow.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2012

ALLAGOPTERA ARENARIABEACH PALM, SAND PALMI am mentioning this palm from Brazil
again because we just got in some very nice band sized plants.
We also have 5g swize. This is a dwarf to semi-dwarf palm that
loves growing in sandy soil, can live near the ocean and gets to a
height of about six, perhaps maximum eight feet tall. It does
have a comparable width. Its trunks can divide but it is not a
true suckering palm. The leaves are very plumose as shown; quite
fluffy in appearance. And, it has the most peculiar blossoms, as
shown here. Cold tolerance is into the low 20's F. It
typically prefers full sun.

CYCAS BIFIDAAKA CYCAD
MULTIFRONDISThis cycad gets its name from
the dichotomously divided leaflets as shown in the many pictures here.
Note that leaflets seem to divide into two parts. This species
is from China and northern Viet Nam. It holds a small number of
leaves, typically three to five, that go upwards but can get to a
height of over twelve feet. The color is green. The leaf
stems are mildly armed. It prefers filtered light and appears to
be cold hardy into the lower teens F. So, it is an exotic cycad
species that looks really tropical but can be grown in some cooler
areas.

Contrast the appearance of these leaves with the last photo of
Cycas debaoensis. The latter is a multipinnate leaf, so
stems themselves divide and show more leaflets per primary leaf stem.
I might comment that, having grown quite a few of the "Cycas
micholitzii complex" plants, there appears to be some variability
in the appearance of Cycas bifida. If you carefully
look at the leaves of the four or five nursery plants shown here, you
will see subtle differences from plant to plant. But, none
qualify as Cycas multipinnata or debaoensis, which
both have branching leaflet stems.

Of note, initially C. bifida was known as "C.
multifrondis" and some still refer to it by this name.

Cycas debaoensis

GAUSSIA MAYAIn the "old days", this species was known as
Opsiandra maya, a name that I really enjoyed. It is a
single trunk palm that can be grown in Southern CA. It has the
interesting habit of getting a very swollen base, especially when
planted in the ground from a smaller plant. Interestingly enough, this
swollen base to the trunk if quite noticeable, but abruptly disappears
with age. It's quite fascinating because one day it's there and
almost the next day it's gone. I apologize that I don't have a
photo to show this swelling, although some photos here hint at this
swelling.

Shown here are various specimens of this species with several box
size. We have several of these as well as smaller sizes for
sale. Along the coast it takes full sun. Cold tolerance is
into the mid-twenties F. The plant you see immediately to the
right saw temperatures outside in 2007 of 24 degrees. The third photo
is of a containerized plant in the greenhouse. Note the swelling
at the base. I am also showing you a few pictures of larger
domestic plants to give a feel for the species. Typically this
species only holds abut five or six leaves, one of its drawbacks.
The trunk diameter is about six to perhaps maximum eight inches.
I've grown it in part day sun, which it loved. however, the
trunk will often curve to seek more sun. Some grow it in full
sun with success. The fifth picture below shows a plant with a
curving trunk. My first garden plant I grew with an eastern
exposure and this is exactly what it did.

I''m showing a lot of photos of this species here so you should be
able to recognize it. These larger plants have taken me well
over ten years to produce.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

HYPHAENETHE GENUS: BRANCHING AFRICAN PALMHyphaene is a branching palm from
southern and eastern Africa. Yes, I mean "branching", just like a
normal tree. This is opposed to basal offsets at ground level known
as suckers. Hyphaene are sun-loving fan palms that are
dioecious (males and females), prefer hot dry climate, can tolerate
drought conditions, and don't like cold/wet winters. There are about
ten species and all have rough trunks with retained leaf bases. Most
have one major trunk that support several crowns of leaves. But, this
is variable. I've seen plants with no branching. The seeds are large
with a fibrous attached fruit. These seeds are very difficult to
clean. The leaves are large and color ranges from green to powder
blue.

From time to time, we have species of Hyphaene for sale.
Shown here is a Hyphanae coriacea in a one gallon size and a
15g plant. Also shown are a variety of mature plants. I'll also show
some mature flowers with seeds. Cold hardiness appears, on most, to
be in the mid-twenties F. If you are like most, your favorite will be
Hyphanae crinita. It is a really nice blue color, sometimes
even white. We don't have these right now but, from time to time, do
have them available.

Hyphanae coriacea

Hyphanae coriacea 15g

Hyphanae coriacea

Hyphanae coriacea

Hyphanae turbinata

Hyphanae semiplaene

Hyphanae turbinat seeds

Hyphanae crinita

Hyphanae crinita

Hyphanae crinitia

Hyphanae coriacea seeds

Hyphanae petersiana

CYPHOPHOENIX NUCELECyphophoenix is a genus of single trunk
palms from the island of New Caledonia. Specifically,
Cyphophoenix nucele is from the small island east of the main
island in New Caledonia. It is named Lifou Island. This species is a
tall, thin, crown shafted palm wit less than one hundred plants left
in the native habitat. Height can reach fifty feet and trunk diameter
is six inches. The crown shaft is white to silver and essentially not
swollen at all. It has been grown by many successfully in Southern
California. Shown to the right is a nice 5g plant that we
photographed yesterday. Also shown are multiple pictures of larger
plants. When I visited New Caledonia, I did not make it to Lifou
Island, so these pictures are from domestic plantings. Most like to
start this species in filtered light and allow it to grow eventually
into the sun. Cold hardiness is somewhere in the mid-twenties f.
Below is the other species of Cyphophoenix, C. elegans.

CYPHOPHOENIX ELEGANSThis species is also from New Caledonia in the
northern part of the island. It is of similar height to C. nucele
and has the same trunk diameter. The crown shaft on C. elegans
is slightly more swollen than that of C. nucele. The crown
shaft is also more of a green color, but can show silver. The
leaflets are thinner and, as you can see, the leaves curve downward as
opposed to the stiff, upright leaves of nucele. Another important
difference between the two is that the leaves of C. elegans
are keeled whereas the leaves of nucele are more flat. You
might have to look at these photos and then go above to compare with
the Cyphophoenix nucele to recognize these differences. Of
note, on both species the bare petiole (stem with no leaves) is very
short. This helps you identify this genus.

Shown here is a 5g plant that I photographed yesterday. Also shown
are lots of photos of mature plants. This species should be started
in filtered light and be allowed to grow into some sun if you live
along the coast. Inland full sun is too harsh for this species. Cold
hardiness is into the mid-twenties F.

STANGERIA ERIOPUSLEAFLET APPEARANCEStangeria eriopus is a dwarf cycad
species from South Africa. It has fern-like leaflets and overall
fern-looking appearance. One thing that has fascinated me about this
species has been the variation in the appearance of its leaflets.
Some leaflets are flat, some are keeled (like the bottom of a ship)
while others have leaflet edges than reflex downwards. Some have
smooth edges and others shown spination (as shown on several plants
here). And, some are undulating, sort of "wavy", while others have a
flat surface. The plant to the immediate right almost has "crinkled"
leaflets. With these pictures here I am going to try to show you some
of these differences. At this time I am unaware of any importance to
this other than curiosity and diversity among the species. There
might be age related differences, but I have found similar differences
among older plants as well.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2012

PARAJUBAEA TORALLYISOUTH AMERICAN COCONUTWEBSITE SPECIALThis rare and nearly extinct species from
Bolivia in South America is a single trunk pinnate palm that gets to
about forty feet height with a twelve to eighteen inches in trunk
diameter. In its natural habitat high in the Andes Mountains, it
sees a fair amount of cold weather. In domestic gardens, reports
of this species tolerating temperatures into the teens have surfaced.
Seeds are huge in size, expensive and germination is sporadic.
For the first time is a long time, we are pleased to offer affordable
band sized seedlings as shown. Our website special is
$30 for these band sized plants. Just mention
this blog when ordering. Remember, seeds on this species are
expensive, sometimes 2 to 3 dollars each and one typically only gets a
small percent germination. So, this is a super fair price.
These can be easily shipped. This is a full sun species. Growth
rates are medium. It would be an attractive replacement for the
Queen Palm and nearly as cold tolerant. This species has thrived
in the San Francisco Bay area. We also have plants available in
5g, 15g and some larger 25g specimens. On the foliage close up
picture, you can see the blue green color of the leaves, typical of
this species. The last photo, by an acquaintance of mine, Gaston
Torres, is from PACSOA. You can see this species makes a large,
exotic tree.

Photo by Gaston Torres, PACSOA

DRACENA DRACOTHE DRAGON TREEThis species of Dracena actually makes a rather large
tree. It has thick silver leaves. It is native to the Canary
Islands. It has the peculiar habit that, after a lengthy time, any
given branch stops growing and then bifurcates or trifurcates, giving
a very branched pattern. The trunk can get quite thick. It has
fragrant white blossoms. It likes full sun and is cold hardy only
into the mid-twenties F. Shown here is the popular 5 gallon size
which we've been out of for some time. But, now we have several
available. Also shown is a larger nursery plant and a mature
specimen. I can obtain very large plants of this, but be aware that
transport of large plants is risky. It's sort of like moving a big
Plumeria. The branches can snap off. Single trunk plants
are a lot easier to deal with. Eventually, they all fork and branch.

BUTIA X JUBAEASeveral months ago I got in a very limited
number of
a rare cross. This is Butia X Jubaea with Butia
being
the seed bearing parent. This cross is very difficult
to locate in a good size. I presently have only a few
of these left. Shown here is a 15g plant. It has a blue
color, keeled leaves and many characteristics of Butia. But there are also traits of the Jubaea.Interestingly enough, with the plants I've had, there is
variation in the appearance of the plants. They
are not all the same. It will be a fast growing, thick
trunked blue palm. It's cold tolerance should be into
the mid-teens F. It will demand a full sun exposure in
almost all areas. I first got in this batch of plants about
three months ago. I have one or two left. If you live in
a coler area and want something different and fairly
fast growing, this cross might be for you. It'll give a
fast growing, thick trunked palm.

SABAL MAURITIFORMISAlthough I don't have photographs of a super
tall specimen, this is a tall, thin trunked fan palm from southern
Mexico and Central America that can attain a trunk height of over
sixty feet. This trunk goes straight up and is tan in color. Leaves
are six feet across, flat, and the segments form a near 360 degree
swirl. In other words, these fan leaves make almost a full circle.
This makes it very attractive. Because of the genus Sabal's
cold hardiness, they have become quite popular. But, be aware this
species is known as the "Tropical Sabal". It will tolerate
temperatures into the mid to low twenties F, but is not a species for
people who see colds into the teens F. It likes full sun but can
tolerate filtered light. It is a very slow growing species. Huge
tall specimens take many decades to attain this height.

Shown here is a 5g plant. The foliage is still juvenile. Note the
silver color on the back of the leaves, a characteristic of this
species. We should have a pretty good assortment of sizes for sale.
The last two photos show the full appearance of the leaves with the
circular pattern to the segments.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2012

LEPIDOZAMIA PEROFFSKYANAThis is a very exotic and rather large cycad
species from northeastern Australia. It can get up to 20 feet of
trunk with a spreading crown up to twenty feet in width. The leaflets
are unarmed and the petioles have no spines. This is why, at our
nursery, we call this species a "User-Friendly" cycad. You can
literally brush the leaves against your face with no prickles. Color
is dark green, sometimes a bit lime-green if in intense sun. The
most common mistake made with this species is that the gardener
doesn't give it enough room for the laterally spreading crown.

This is a rather easy species to grow. It is frost tolerant and can
take temperatures well into the low twenties F. Surprisingly, along
the coast, it can tolerate light exposures from full sun to shade.
Inland areas would require filtered light or part day sun. It likes
good draining soil. Also, it makes an excellent potted cycad.
Container growing will stunt the size it will eventually get. If
grown inside the house, you'd give it adequate sun and plenty of
room. Leaves can easily get up to six feet or more. But, because of
its soft leaves, it makes a good interior cycad and nothing is quite
as dramatic appearing...

This cycad is highly recommended for people who don't see bitter
cold. Shown here are a variety of sizes that we offer for sale with a
few shots of domestic plants. The last photo is a male cone that came
up on one of our larger nursery plants.

ORANIOPSIS APENDICULATATHE FORGOTTEN "BRONZE PALM"This is an attractive pinnate palm from the Mt.
Lewis mountain area of Queensland, Australia. For those of you
who like Arcontophoenix purpurea, this species grows side by
side with the Purple Crown Shaft King Palm in habitat. When I
visited this habitat over a decade ago, I was surprised to find that
the dominant species was Oraniopsis, not the
Archontophoenix. They are both about the same height and
have similar trunk sizes. However, the Oraniopsis is
not crown shafted. It is known as the Bronze Palm because of the
peculiar gold-gray color on the underside of the leaves. I say "fogotten"
above because so few people know about this species or are growing it.
Yet, it has surprising cold hardiness, certainly better than the
Archontophoenix purpurea.

In habitat, I'd say this species got up to twenty, perhaps thirty
feet tall. The trunk diameter is about a foot. The crown
width is about twelve feet or a bit more, which is similar to the
Purple King. In the garden, it is a slow species but a steady
grower. It will tolerate full sun in coastal areas but probably
needs sun protection inland. A safe way to grow it is to have it
start in filtered light and work its way up into full sun. I
have known this species to grow in the San Francisco area. I'd
estimate its cold tolerance to be in the mid to low 20's F.
Shown to the right are a 15 gallon and 5g plant. Below is a 2
gallon size. Also shown are habitat photos and one juvenile
plant in a garden. I'd highly recommend this species.

ARCHONTOPHOENIX PURPUREATHE PURPLE CROWN SHAFT KING PALMHaving just discussed Oraniopsis, I
thought I'd continue on to talk about the other predominant species in
the Mt. Lewis area of Queensland, Australia. Archontophoenix
purpurea is known for the purple color to the crown shaft. It is
found at an elevation up to 4000 feet. Mature height is quoted to be
over fifty feet, but in habitat and culture I didn't see one this
tall. For types of King Palms, this species is stated to have the
thickest trunk. I don't think I agree with this and feel A.
maxima is thicker. Most I've seen have a trunk diameter of
twelve inches or somewhat more. The crown shaft is a bit bulging.
Below I'd like to state some of my observations about this species.
I'm going to number them for easy viewing:

1. It is NOT the most cold hardy of the King Palm group. 25 degrees
F. will definitely burn it and lower temps will kill it. Two decades
ago people said it was the most cold hardy. This is not true.
2. The degree of purple color you see in the crown shaft is quite
variable. If you see a picture of one with an intense purple color
like on grape candy, it is probably "photoshopped". Only once have I
seen anything like this where the color is brilliantly purple. Expect
a light purple or reddish hue, which is much more common. Sometimes
they are more green than any other color. And, you won't see the
purple color when they are juvenile. They have to have some trunk
height before it can be seen. So, when you buy one you just have to
wait for the color.
3. A good way to recognize this species as a juvenile nursery plant
is from the yellowish color to the stem and petiole. (see photos).
Also, the underside of the leaves are intensely silver as shown here.
The crown shaft is green on young plants.
4. There are only two species of King Palms which have ramenta (small
hair-like fibers) on the underside of the leaflets. These are the
A. cunninghamiana and A. purpurea. So, check the
underside of the leaves. If you see ramenta and they are silver, you
are looking at an A. purpurea. (see 7th photo below). One
of the photos below shows this species in fruit.

Pictures here are an assortment of nursery plants, domestically grown
plants and habitat specimens. If you live in an area that doesn't get
below the mid-twenties, it is a fun species to grow.

CHAMAEDOREA STOLONIFERAThis clumping, simple leaf Chamaedorea
comes from Chiapas, Mexico. It is one of my favorite dwarf palms for
shade. In habitat, it comes from elevations over 2000 feet. This
probably is the reason we see reasonable cold hardiness with this
species. The name of this species comes from the fact that plants
produce "stolons". Stolons are serpentine type of growth points that
grow out from the plants like a curvy pencil. They'll then dive below
the soil, root out, and then re-emerge from the soil with leaves.
Sometimes you just see them shooting randomly out from the soil to
make new stems. This is different than the normal observation of a
plant's just "suckering" near the base of an existing stem. Stolons
result in a colony being formed and the plants ability to spread
laterally. It also makes for simple removal of new plants for
propagation. You can merely dig and pot them up. The problem is
finding one to dig; they are very rare.

Typical height of a mature clump of this species is about six feet.
But, because they can "run", the width is dependent on the age.
Leaves are about a foot long, simple in shape and bifid at the end as
the photos show. The first three photos show a nice, shippable size
specimen that has a dozen or more canes. It is very full and
pretty. The blossoms show that it's a female. We do have smaller 2
gallon size and a few boxes (fourth photo). Cold hardiness is into
the mid to low-twenties F. and this plant prefers filtered light.
Full sun will burn the leaves for sure. We also have available 2g
plants removed from known male and female clumps. If you get two, you
can obtain both sexes (they are marked as male or female) and set
viable seeds. This is also an appealing species if you like to do
hybridization with Chamaedorea.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2012

DIOON MEROLAE "GOLDEN FORM"Sometime about fifteen years ago,
cycad enthusiasts began to see a different form of Dioon merolae
become available. By report, the new emerging leaves were a
different color, sort of a golden green. This color was
reportedly due to tomentum on the newly emerging leaves. We had
never seen such a thing, so there was a lot of enthusiasm about this
new form of merolae. The seeds were also larger in size and were
from the region of Oaxaca, Mexco, whereas regular merolae seeds were from
Chiapas. I've grown several hundred of this form and have yet to
see a good example of golden new leaves. But, I thought I'd
mention it here because you will hear about it. Shown are several juvenile plants.

But, I would comment that my decades of experience with both palms and
cycads has taught me that one always sees variation within a species
in habitat. If you collect and grow a species from a habitat
location and then travel one hundred miles and collect seeds of the
same species from that
location, you will see differences between the two plants. Seed
collectors have informed me that just moving over one mountain range
may demonstrate notable differences. We've definitely seen this
with Dypsis from Madagascar. The same applies to cycads
as well.
There are at least six forms of Encephalartos natalensis. As our
"Golden merolae" get larger, Over time, I think
we'll know if they are going to end up different. I apologize but I don't have a photo
of a mature Golden merolae plant.

CHAMAEDOREA GLAUCIFOLIAA TALL, THIN TRUNKED AND FAST GROWING SHADE PALMI've been
doing this blog for about sixteen months and have yet to mention this
species. I think this is because I am so fond of a very similar
appearing species, Chamaedorea plumosa. But,
Chamaedorea glaucifolia is an old-time favorite of many
enthusiasts.

Chamaedorea glaucifolia is native to Mexico and is very fast growing.
It would not be unusual for a one gallon plant to be overhead in two
years. It gets its name from the glaucous material that the plant
exudes on it's crown shaft, trunk and leaves. This gives it a blue
green color. The second photo to the right shows this waxy
material. I intentionally rubbed my finger over it to show how
it wipes off, showing the green crown shaft below. The leaves
are multi-ranked and plumose. The leaflets are very thin.
Trunk size is about one to one and a half inches thick. I've found
this species peaks out at about
fifteen feet height. It is prolific in seed formation and loves
to hybridize with other nearby Chamaedorea species.

I might comment that this is a species I would recommend planting with
three or five plants close together. It looks much better as a
small colony. And, you avoid the appearance of "leaves on a
stick" when you do this. It's cold tolerance is into the
mid-twenties. It tolerates part day sun or filtered light but is not as sun
tolerant as C. plumosa. I'd recommend trying this species
because it is so different from most shade-loving palms. It
is also a very difficult species to photograph from afar.
Because of the thin leaflets, it just doesn't show up well.

EASY TO SHIP CYCADS
FIVE GALLON AND CITRUS POT SIZESThis morning I thought I'd quickly show you some
cycads that are in very easy to ship containers. When you start with
a seedling, you definitely have years to go before you see a landscape
ready plant. With the five gallon/citrus pot size, you have a plant
that is of adequate size for the garden yet doesn't cost an arm and a
leg to ship. As most people know, we are a certified grower and can
ship plants in their containers directly to any of the states in the
U.S. Doing this rather than bare rooting means you'll have less
immediate losses and you won't have the almost guaranteed one year set
back that you see when plants are bare rooted. Below I'll make
minimal comments on the species and show a citrus pot/5g plant and a
mature specimen to the right. It's designed for quick viewing. I
hope you enjoy these photos. I'm just randomly picking some species.
If you are interested in obtaining any cycads of this size, just give
me a call. We can usually ship plants within 24 hours via Federal
Express. We have about 100 different species of cycads in this size
for sale. I can actually send email photos of the exact plant you'd
be receiving if you prefer.

Encephalartos trispinosusA blue South African species that likes heat and
sun. As a mature plant it is small to medium in size.

Encephalartos natalensisAnother South African cycad but green in color.
It makes a medium to large plant as shown and prefers full sun in
coastal areas.

Stangeria eriopusA very different appearing type of cycad from
South Africa. It has a fern-like appearance, is a dwarf type of plant
and prefers filtered light in most areas.

Lepidozamia peroffskyanaA large species of cycad that has softer,
unarmed leaflets and leaves. It can get a large spread of leaves. In
most areas it prefers filtered light but can take full sun along the
coast.

Ceratozamia hildaeA dwarf Mexican cycad that has leaves typically
not over four feet long and prefers filtered light in the garden.

Dioon merolaeA very beautiful Mexican species that is slow
growing, takes years to get 3 feet of trunk, prefers full sun in most
areas and has a medium sized crown.

Dioon eduleThis is a small to medium sized cycad from
Mexico that is probably the most cold hardy of all cycads and the most
able to take hot desert sun.

Encephalartos lehmaniiThis is a very desirable species from South
Africa that's mature size ranges from small to medium. The color is
intensely blue with no side barbs on the leaflets. It prefers heat
and full sun in most areas. Desert culture would be part day sun.

Cycas thouarsiiThis is a medium to sometimes tall species of
cycad from the Island of Madagascar. It is quick growing and prefers
filtered light or sometimes full sun along the coast.

Macrozamia communisThis is a medium sized Australia species that
gets about eight feet tall and is fairly cold hardy. It prefers full
sun except in the hotter desert areas.

Encephalartos transvenosusThis South African species will, over many
decades of growth, get extremely large with substantial vertical trunk
as shown in the habitat picture to the right. It prefers full sun
along the coast.

Zamia standleyiThis is one of many tropical Zamias
that we grow. This species is a medium sized plant, exotic, and
prefers filtered light.

Zamia muricataThis is another tropical Zamia but from
Venezuela. It has a bit of cold hardiness and likes filtered light.
In the right areas, it is easy to grow.

Dioon mejiaeThis is a medium sized cycad that comes from
Mexico and parts of Central America. It tends to throw upright leaves
that emerge soft and fuzzy. It is best grown in less than full sun,
even along the coast.

NANNORRHOPS RITCHIANA WHITE
"NANNORRHOPS ARABICA"This species is a suckering fan palm from the
Middle East. This includes the countries of Iran, Pakistan and
Afghanistan. Leaf size is about four feet, height typically eight to
twelve feet and width about ten feet. Taller very old specimens do
exist. Trunks are about four to six inches thick. The upper stem in
the area of the leaf attachments are covered with a wooly, tan
material. (see photo). The presence of this material is a good way to
identify this species.

The main thing I wanted to talk about this morning with
Nannorrhops is the color of the leaves. Interestingly enough,
this genus is felt to be "monocarpic". This means there is only one
species in existence. Recently seeds have become available of a type
of Nannorrhops that has white or near white leaves. Some
call this Nannorrhops arabica, but I am not sure this is an
accepted taxonomic name. This, of course, would make a second species
of Nannorrhops. Taxonomists typically don't get too excited
about leaf color. It's all about the flowers. So, my suspicion, is
that this would be given a "variety" category at best.

In any case, we have a few of these available for sale. They are
difficult to find. If you compare these with other Nannorrhops,
you'll find the others are often a blue color, gray color or even
green in color. See the side by side comparison. I've shown some
mature specimens of regular Nannorrhops, but do not have a
picture of a mature white form of this species. Of note, these will
sell out quickly. They like sun and are cold hardy into the upper
teens F.

F

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2012

HOWEA FORSTERIANACOMMENTS ON VARIOUS SIZES AVAILABLE AND
SELECTING THE BEST
SIZE FOR YOU Customers
are often confused by pot sizes and their capabilities of planting.
So, I thought I'd comment about various sizes of the popular species,
Howea forsteriana, and ease or difficulties in transporting
and actually planting the various sizes you could buy. The planting expenses
incurred can really escalate the cost of a project. Very large
plants are expensive to transport and place in the ground. I
have chosen the Kentia Palm because it is very slow growing.
With a fast growing species like Caryota or
Archontophoenix, it is difficult to justify putting in a massive
plant. A well grown and cared for 15g plant will be the size of
a 36 inch box in several years. So, getting "super big" with
such species is money wasted. But, with a very slow growing palm
like the kentia palm, Howea forsteriana, it might be money well spent because
the consumer may have to wait a decade or more to get good size on the
plants he puts in the ground.

I'll start with the 5g size and move up from there. I'll show
pictures of nursery stock. This first batch of photos to the
right and below shows you Kentias planted in various locations in Southern CA.

5 gallon sized plantThis is a great beginning size for many people.
The plants typically weight about 35 pounds and can be easily carried
and planted. Our 5g plants, either singles or multiples, are
usually five to eight feet tall. One would need to dig a hole
that is about 16 inches wide and 14 inches deep with typically
amending of soil if needed. Almost anyone can transport this
size in an average car and easily plant it themselves. It takes
us about four to five years to produce plants as shown here in the 5g
size.

15 gallon sized plantThis is probably the most popular size chosen by
customers doing landscape. Our 15g plants are typically 8 to 10
feet tall and pretty chunky. Remember, a sun grown plant will be
more compact and fat at the base compared to shade grown plants.
The caliper at the base is a good way to judge not only the health of
the plant, but also its age. In a shady greenhouse, one can
stretch out leaves to ten feet and say "look how tall they are".
But, this is meaningless as the plant will shrink after putting it
into the ground. So, look at basilar caliper. The base
shown here is excellent caliper.

15g plant typically weight about 80 pounds. With the leaves tied
up, they may be over ten feet long during transport. So, an SUV
or pickup may be needed for transport. Planting holes should be
about 20 inches wide and at least 18 inches deep. A strong
individual can plant a 15g by himself, or he might need assistance
from one other person. Our 15g plants are typically seven to
eight years old or more.

24 inch boxed Howea forsterianaWhen you get a boxed plant, you will need
assistance in transporting and planting. Weight of this size is
typically 250 pounds or more. A pickup or perhaps a large SUV is
need for transport. You'll need assistance with offloading this
size plant. It requires a hole 30 inches wide, all sides and at
least 26 to 28 inches deep. This gives room for soil
amendments underneath and at the rootball's edges. Two to three
men are needed to plant such a box. For most homeowners, this is
the largest box size you want to get unless you have a contractor with
heavy equipment doing the lifting and planting.

Our 24 inch Kentia Palms are typically ten to fourteen feet tall.
Singles tend to grow faster than multiples. The main difference
between this size and a 15g is the caliper of the trunks, trunk
formation and overall size of the crown. Age of these plants is
about ten years. Sometimes we'll utilize a 25g pot instead of a
24 inch box and can get comparable sized plants in these plastic
containers.

30 inch box size Howea forsterianaThis size is next to impossible to load into a
pickup without a lift gate. These plants can weight 500 to 600
pounds. Most landscapers use a tractor or Bobcat to transport
these at the job site. If you are planting this by yourself,
don't even consider this size plant unless you have good health
insurance. Many contractors who don't use heavy equipment stay
away from this size because of employee injuries.

Plants shown here are of exceptional caliper and about 14 feet tall.
Delivery is available for this sized plant. But, you have to get
them from the street side to your planting location. Age on
these plants is typically twelve years or more.

36 inch box (or larger) or dug Kentia PalmsPlants like these shown here are typically field
grown for ten to twenty years and then dug and either put into large
boxes or wrapped with burlap and transported. These plants weigh more than a ton and a crane
is typicallly required for reaching out with the plant and setting it
in the planting hole. A flatbed large truck in needed to
move them to a job site. You can see that, with these
requirements, it might cost well over a thousand dollars just to bring
such a plant to your job site and put it in the ground. When you
buy large trees like this, you are typically charged by the footage of
trunk height, counting all trunks on multiples. Most growers
consider the height to be from the ground to where the new leaf
emerges. But, be careful with these measurements. Some
consider "height" to be up to the point where the most recent leaf
curves. You can see that this tacks on additional profit to the
grower.

Plants like these shown are for people who "just can't wait".
They want instant garden. Many palm enthusiast would argue,
however, that a smaller plant in the ground, over time, will be a
healthier plant than a tall, craned in specimen. I don't myself
do this crane work but work with associates who can get you Kentia
Palms with twenty feet of trunk or more.

SUMMARY:There is a whole assortment of sizes available
to enthusiasts who want to purchase and add Kentia Palms to their
garden. 5g and 15g plants are quite easy to plant and the
typical enthusiast or gardener can do it. Larger plants weigh
more and often require professionals to put in the ground. Large
trunked out specimen may require a crane and tend to be much more
expensive, not only for the plant but for putting them into the
planting area. We usually remind people that time is on their
side. Be patient and remember that a moderately sized Howea
will get to be quite large over time. And, it is fun to watch
them grow.

LICUALA RAMSAYIFor those who think that all fan palms are
"desert palms", consider this species to change your mind. Native to
a coastal area in Queensland, Australia, this exotic species has
proven to be a pretty good grower here in Southern California. It
comes from humid, sometimes swamp like localities natively. In
habitat, it initially grows as an understory palm because of
competition of adjacent trees and taller ramsayi overhead.
But, over time, it works its way up into the sun. Plants are single
trunked. This trunk is thin, typically about six inches, and in time
smooth. The leaves are divided into wide segments as shown, typically
five to six feet across. Height can easily reach over twenty feet and
the tallest plants in QLD are over fifty feet. The bottom row of
photos were taken by my son Jesse and I in the year 2000, when we
visited the habitat location. There is also a shot of a juvenile
plant in a garden here in Southern California.

Cold tolerance is somewhat below a freeze, perhaps to about 28 degrees
F. It is one of the more cold tolerant Licuala. In a
container, I would grow it in filtered light. But, we've learned
that, for this species to do well, you must eventually give it some
sun. So, along the coast, I'd recommend half day sun at least,
perhaps morning sun being better. If you are far inland, keep it out
of direct sun. Presently we have some nice 5g plants for sale as
shown to the right. We just got these and they'll be gone in a week or
so.

Photo by HJD

JUBAEA HYBRIDRecently a homeowner contacted me about a "Jubaea"
they had and wanted to sell. I had photos emailed to me and
recognized that this plant was not a pure Jubaea. This is
because, as you can see, it doesn't look like a pure Jubaea.
The leaves are different and, at this size, the trunk shouldn't be so
prominently filled with old leaf bases. My guess is that it is a
Jubaea X Butia. In any case, it has been dug and moved by an
associate of mine who specializes in large, crane sized plants.. It's
in a 64 inch box and will be a very different, large trunked plant in
someone's garden. If interested, just let me know. It was dug in the
past week with a great root ball and should do fine with the
transplant. It'll be instant landscape for someone who likes
different looking plants. I'd estimate the trunk diameter will be
three to four feet and overall height probably thirty feet or more.
The last photo was sent to me by a homeowner and is a picture of his "Jubaea",
which I also think is the same hybrid in the box.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012

SABAL MINORA SOMETIMES TRUNKLESS FAN PALMI would
like to revisit this species and make a few simple points. Above
I say "sometimes" a trunkless palm. This is because it has been
found that, on occasion, this species can form trunks up to ten feet.
But, in my experience they have little to no trunk over 90% of the
time. Rather, they seem to "crawl" on either the ground or in a
pot. If you look at the fourth picture below, you'll see the
large foot next to the trunk and that this plant has moved to the edge
of the pot. It is crawling sideways, not making vertical trunk.

This species has small, deeply dived leaves. The leaflets are
rather narrow. The dead ringer to identifying this species is
seeing a small fan palm with vertical blossoms, often with small black
seeds, this is not over your head. Typical heights are four to
six feet when mature. The sixth picture shows a newly emerging
flower spike. No other Sabal species forms a flower on
such a small plant.

Cold hardiness is excellent. I 've received reports of this
species tolerating temperatures near ten degrees F. Flowering
can occur within a few years of planting a five gallon plant.
They prefer sun but can tolerate partial sun. We have an
assortment of sizes available from 15g down to seedlings. If you
want a small plant that you can see over and doesn't obstruct a view,
this might be the perfect species for you. Also, for those in
super cold areas, this might be the perfect plant to try. It
would be simple to cold protect it on those coldest winter nights.

PHILODENDRON
SPECIES
ASSORTMENT OF DIFFERENT SPECIESWe have an
excellent relationship with many botanical gardens and conservatories
in the country. One really fun thing that we do is trade plant
material. With this, I always try to obtain interesting
Philodendron. Here I am showing you a few of the different leaf
forms. I have dozen of different types of these. Most are
climbers and will go up the trunks of other trees. These plants
are really fun to grow and are a great companion plant. Almost
all want filtered light and have cold hardiness into the freeze area.

TWO DIFFERENT DYPSIS
"SPECIES"DYPSIS SP. "SLICK WILLY" AND TSARAVOSIRAJungle Music has been growing rare and unusual
Dypsis species for well over two decades. And, in the past
twenty years, we've come across a lot of species of plants from
Madagascar that were either something new and as of yet un-described,
were mislabeled as another species, or just a plain unknown species.
In other words, at times we'd be growing something that no one knew
for sure what it was. There are a lot of reasons this happens. First
and foremost is the fact that there are a lot of species of Dypsis
in Madagascar. Second, not all have been named. Third, there are
crossovers or natural hybrids that are a bit different. Finally, many
seedsmen just don't know the name of the plant in front of them. In
some cases, it became a situation of "The blind leading the blind" in
terms of trying to figure out what you had in front of you. The
reference book, Palms of Madagascar, by Dransfield and
Beentje, helped a lot with identifying new things that came on the
market. Dransfield recently published a new edition with more
species. But, there is more work to be done.

Shown here are two species we just got in. The first is Dypsis
species "slick willy". This plant, first named by Mardy Darian
after U.S. President Clinton, may be or is similar to Dypsis
species "bef", a suckering species with medium sized trunks and
height. The second species, Dypsis "tsaravosira" is probably misnamed
and should be considered Dypsis species unknown. I mention
these two species so Dypsis enthusiasts know that we have
them. They are in limited quantities and in the size shown. I've
shown photos of larger Dypsis tsaravosira, bef, and "slick willy"
either from habitat or a domestic garden. But, with the explanation
above, there's always a bit of guessing and surprise when you get into
Dypsis. (see yesterdays post)

Dypsis species
slick willy

Dypsis species
tsaravosira

Dypsis
species tsaravosira

Dypsis tsaravosira

Dypsis species bef

Dypsis species bef

Dypsis species
slick willy

DYPSIS AFFINISWHITE CROWN SHAFTED PALMI hope that I am not overwhelming you with
Dypsis species. It could be a never ending story. But, I
thought I'd show one more species that palm enthusiasts really like.
It is Dypsis affinis. Interestingly, when you check Paul
Craft's or John Dransfield's books on palms, you will not find this
one mentioned. Yet, among enthusiasts, many will know the exact palm
you are talking about when you mention Dypsis affinis.

It is a suckering palm of small to medium stature, trunk diameter of
several inches, pinnate leaves and a prominently white crown shaft.
We have small plants of this available. Growing one is worth the
wait. Shown here are some larger domestic garden plants with closeups
of the crown shaft and one plant in seed in Southern California. The
last photo shows how very white the stems are. Of note, some would
consider this a sub-variety of Dysis onilahensis. Along the
coast it tolerates sun. In far inland areas give it filtered light.
Cold tolerance should prove to be in the mid-twenties F.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2012

DYPSIS FLORENCEITHE CANDY CANE PALMThis sought after clustering pinnate palm is
from Madagascar. It has the coined name "Candy Cane Palm" because of
the irregular red markings of the crown shaft area set against a
white/light colored upper stem. It has pinnate leaves, a trunk
diameter of a few inches at most, and an overall height under ten
feet. It is an extremely rare species and is difficult to grow
outdoors. You must provide warmth, humidity and good draining soil.
It is an understory palm, so filtered light is needed. Cold tolerance
is above freezing and it likes humidity. It is being grown by many in
Southern California, but HI or Florida would be a more ideal climate
for this species. Shown here is a nice 5g plant and more mature
specimen. The last photo was taken by Clayton York and is borrowed
from PACSOA. Crown shaft color is variable and young plants show a
lot of speckling in this area as shown. Supplies of this species are
inconsistent and extremely limited. If you really want to try
this species, just let me know and perhaps I'll have one for you.

Dypsis florencei by Clayton York, PACSOA

DYPSIS SPECIES
"HAWAIIAN PUNCH"
SIMILAR TO NEOPHLOGA "PINK CROWN SHAFT"From time to time we have available a rare palms
called "Dypsis Species Hawaiian Punch". This is obviously a
coined common name. They look quite similar to plants we previously
discussed called "Neophlogra Pink Crown Shaft", an as of yet
un-described single trunk pinnate species from Madagascar. The seeds
source of these Hawaiian Punch plants says these are different. It is
a single trunk species with a narrow trunk, a pink to red colored
crown shaft and a red, newly emerging leaf. It is an understory
palm. I'd suspect its cold tolerance will be into the upper twenties
F., but am not certain of this. The first three photos here are the
Hawaiian Punch plants. All the rest are Neophloga Pink Crown
Shaft, the last photo showing a few plants on one of our display
benches. Perhaps there are differences in the juvenile foliage shown
here. You can decide. These promise to be a very attractive species
for planting below the canopy in your garden. They'll add color and
interest. Supplies of this species are quite inconsistent but
we've got some from time to time.

Dypsis species Hawaiian Punch

Dypsis species Hawaiian Punch

Dypsis species Hawaiian Punch

Neophloga Pink Crown Shaft

Neophloga Pink Crown Shaft

Neophloga Pink Crown Shaft

Neophloga
PinkCrown Shaft

ACTINOKENTIA DIVARICATATHE MINIATURE FLAME THROWER PALMThis thin trunked, medium sized palm comes from
New Caledonia where it lives in habitat below overhead tree canopy.
It is very slow growing. It has a trunk diameter, at maturity, of
about three inches. It has a cream colored crown shaft and a sparse
crown of five to six leaves. It is often seen "leaning" for light
among competing plants. For a nursery, producing a nice 5g plant
takes about five years. For this reason, few nurseries grow this
species. Planted in the garden, growth rate picks up a bit but is
still slow. Newly emerging leaves are often red in color. If you are
in a drier climate, this species would definitely take filtered
light. Since the trunk is small and the canopy is medium sized at
most, it is a good species to "sneak into that small, filtered light
area". Cold tolerance is into the low twenties, F. I've known this
species to grow in the San Francisco Bay area. We have a very limited
supply of Actinokentia. Of note, this is a monotypic genus
with only one species in the genus. Shown here are 5g plants,
pictures from habitat and a few domestic photos. Note the long slender
crown shaft and how plants don't carry very many leaves. We've been
selling this species for over 20 years and typically have one or two
for sale. But, supplies may run out.

ENCEPHALARTOS VILLOSUSAN UPRIGHT CYCAD WITH GOLD CONES

This is an attractive, small to medium sized
cycad from South Africa that, in most circumstances, prefers partial
sun or filtered light and never gets overly large. A mature plant
might have a cuadex of twelve to fourteen inches, and this is mostly
subterranean (below the ground). Leaves are green in color, have thin
leaflets with some spines, and are six to eight feet long, often held
in an upright position. Cold tolerance is into the low twenties F.
Suckers can form at the base.

One of the things I like most about this species are the beautiful
cones. Male cones are yellow, as shown below. Female cones are
yellow to brilliant gold in color. A female cone will hold its color
in the garden for about six months. And, the female cones are quite
large, sometimes almost to two feet in length. Tomorrow or Wednesday,
I am going to show you a female cone with brilliant red seeds
visible. This is absolutely striking with these prominent colors.
Note that the female cones are thicker in diameter. The male cones
are thinner and look like corn cobs with the kernels removed. This is
typical of Encephalartos cones. The females have more of a
"pineapple" look. Below you'll see pictures of the cone falling
apart and showing beautiful red seeds.

If you prefer the upright leaves, you might consider cutting off the
lower, more horizontal leaves. This can be done without hurting the
plant if you have a hardened set of new, more upright leaves. Shown
here is an assortment of photos including nursery plants, cones and
garden specimens. We have a wide variety of sizes for sale including
mature, coning sized specimens. And, they can easily be shipped
throughout the U.S.

Encephalartos villosus male
cone

Encephalartos villosus female
cone

Encephalartos villosus male
cone

Encephalartos villosus female
cone

Encephalartos villosus female
cone

These photographs were taken over time and show
you the same gold cone above and what happens over time. You'll
note the female cone is dehiscing and falling apart. This
dehiscence of the cone starts at the top and works its way downward.
Week by week, the cone breaks apart a bit more. I'd estimate it takes
about a month or two for the entire cone to fall apart once the seeds
are fully developed in the cone. The cone is supported by a very
thick stalk. We removed the cone for photos. Note the cut surface of
the transected stalk in the last photo. Also note how this plant is
starting to throw new leaves (photo #5) even before the cone has
finished dehiscing. The contrast of the red against the cold is very
attractive. These seeds would normally be cleaned of any fruit and
stored for three to six months before they'd be ready for
germination. This allows the embryos in the seeds to develop during
this "after-ripening" period. Seeds should be stored in a dark, dry
location such as a house cabinet and kept in a bag that breathes
well. Growers use nylon stockings or paper bags for storage. Someday
soon I'll write an article about cycad seed development and
germination.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2012

ROYSTONEA PRINCEPSTHE SMALLER ROYAL PALM FROM JAMAICAAbout four years ago I was
lucky enough to make contact with a fellow that loves palms and often
goes to Jamaica. He told me he visited Roystonea princeps in
habitat and asked if I wanted seeds. That was a "no-brainer" for
me and I replied "of course". This relationship has let to a
good supply of this desirable tall crown shafted Royal Palm.
Compared to Roystonea regia, this is a shorter palm, maximum height to
sixty feet (not one hundred like regia). Also, the trunk is more
narrow with a small amount of basilar bulging. Finally, the
leaflets are multi-ranked giving a plumose appearance with some
leaflets hanging down in a dependent fashion. The crown shaft is
emerald green. Growth rate is similar to other Royals and cold
tolerance is in the mid-twenties F. Shown here are 2g, 5g and a
15g plant. Presently we have the two smaller sizes from this
wild collected seeds. The two habitat photos were taken by RL.
Note the rather narrow trunk for a Royal Palm and the fluffy leaves.

ROYSTONEA REGIATHE CUBAN ROYAL PALMThe ever
so popular Cuban Royal Palm is a species that, thirty years ago, was
felt not possible to grow in Southern California. Well, the last
three decades have certainly proved that wrong. There are
literally hundreds of plants being grown successfully from Santa
Barbara to San Diego. In fact, I know of specimens (with some
difficulty) being grown in the Bay Area of San Francisco and in
Phoenix, Arizona. Of all these pictures shown here, all were
taken in the Southern California area except for the last row and the
moonlight photo.

This is a tall palm, growing to heights of nearly one hundred feet.
In Southern California anticipate a maximum trunk of fifty feet.
They don't grow as fast or as tall here as in more tropical areas.
This species has a long crown shaft and a swollen base that can exceed two feet
in diameter. The crown is spherical with some leaves hanging
below the median mark of the crown. Note, Roystonea oleracea
(South American Royal Palm) leaves are
typically not below the half way point of the crown. It is a sun
loving species. Growth rate is fast. They respond to heat
and adequate water. Cold tolerance is in the mid-twenties, no
too different than a normal King Palm. Our availability changes
over time. I am showing here an assortment of larger plants.
We also have smaller sizes including 5g and 15g. Because this species
is so sought-after, I am trying to show a lot of photos here. We
can even arrange specimens with three to five feet of woody trunk if
you are so inclined.

By the way, I've written about Roystonea borinquena far below
in this current thread of postings. Check it out if you are
interested. Some feel it is the most cold hardy of all the
Royals.

GROWING PALM SPECIES AS
"MULTIPLES"
MORE THAN ONE PLANT IN A POT

From a trunk point of view, there are two types
of palm trees:

1. Single trunk: Species that only have one trunk
2. Suckering species: "Suckering" means that the primary trunk makes
additional trunks, usually at the base of the first trunk.

Many palm species such as Roystonea (Royal Palm above)and Archontophoenix (King Palm) are "single trunk"
species. Examples of suckering species would be the Bamboo Palm, the
Senegal Date Palm, the Areca Palm and many others.

Nurserymen will sometimes put multiple single trunk species into one
pot and grow them as a "multi". This term means that more than one
single trunk species have been placed and grown in one single pot.
This is done because many customers prefer the look of several
together. The most popular number of plants to grown as a "multi" is
three. Next most popular is a "double". But, sometimes growers will
put five or ten plants in one pot.

This confuses buyers. They look at the plant and think that it is a
suckering species. The Pygmy Date Palm is almost always grown as
three in a pot. It looks aesthetic. This makes consumers think the
species is suckering, but it is a single trunk species. A triple
Pygmy will always just be three plants. No more trunks will ever
appear unless one got the rare, truly suckering form of this species
native to Laos. But, the latter is essentially never available.

I am going to show some plants here that are single trunk
species but being grown as multi's. I'll show both nursery
and garden specimens. Obviously, in habitat, you'd only see what
appears to be a multiple of a sigle trunk species if multiple seeds
happened to drop and germinate in the same location.

Certain species do look good as multi's; others don't. In general, I
don't like to do multiples on bigger species like Canaries, Sabals,
Bismarckia, etc. But, sometimes customers ask for them. A
triple Queen Palm to me is 'too much". But, everyone has their own
preference and taste.

Below I show two photos of large Canary Island Palms. One was grown
as a multi from the beginning. The other is three single plants put
into the garden side by side. Note the difference. When grown as a
"multi", trunks tend to arch away from each other. The close up photo
of the base of the triple King Palm shows this. At our nursery, we do
grow multiple species as "multi's", especially if they are tall, thin
palm species. Chamaedorea plumosa is a great example of a
group of three or more looking better than a single plant.

Chamaedorea oblongata, five plants in
one pot

Chamaedorea elegans, multi planting

Howea forsteriana, three plants in one
pot

Dypsis lutescens, a naturally suckering species

Triple King Palm, a multi planted
specimen

Chamaedorea plumosa multi

Chamaedorea plumosa multi

Pygmy Date multiples

Kentia Palm multiple

Chamaedorea neurochlamys, 3 plants in
1 pot

King Palm, triple in garden, grown as a multi

Phoenix reclinata, a suckering
species.This is not a multi potted specimen that got
large

Triple Pygmy Date, grown as a multi

King Palm triple showing the curve of the
trunks

Triple Canary, grown as multi

Canary Palms, three singles planted close to
each other. Not a multi

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2012

WALLICHIA DISTICHAThis is a very rare and hard to find species
that is monocarpic, single stem and has leaves all in one plane. This
means that the foliage is presented in a flat, single plane. It is
native to Western Asia in areas from Thailand to India. It is present
in mountainous areas to heights of 4000 feet and therefore has a good
deal of cold hardiness. The arrangement of the leaves in a single
plane gives this species its name with the pairing off in the same
plant of two leaves. When people see this palm they tend to be
impressed and drawn to it. It gets to about thirty feet tall with a
one foot thick trunk. I've seen various specimens of this species
grown successfully in Southern California. As mentioned, once this
species flowers the plant will die. Cold hardiness is probably into
the upper twenties F. It is not quite as cold hardy as several other
species in this genus. Shown here is a 5g plant of this species. We
also have smaller plants for sale. Also shown are some pictures of
mature plants. One shot shows Rusty with a blossom removed from a
local fruiting tree. A close up of the leaf and trunk are shown.
You can see how its leaflets resemble Arenga or even
Caryota. The last picture shows the tiny seeds that I collected
from a fruiting tree.

ZOMBIA ANTILLARUMI am unaware of any Latin derivation for the
word "Zombie" or "Zombia". Paul Craft reports that it's
derivation is from Haitian Creole where it translates into "ghost
palm". Apparently the white fruits have a "ghost" appearance. The
genus name of "Zombia" certainly draws your attention. This
genus only has one species and it is native to the West Indies.
Zombia is a suckering fan palm that gets to a height of ten feet
or more and, over time, gets to be a wide suckering clump. The most
interesting thing about this species is the organized spination seen
on the trunks. Compare this to the Trithrinax acanthicoma
which we viewed a few days ago. The latter is totally random.
Zombia has rings of spines that are closely woven into a
repetitive pattern with the spines pointing downward. For this
reason, it is quite unique and can usually be recognized by the trunks
alone. Over time, lower portions of the trunks may lose their spines,
but they'll remain throughout most of the trunk.

We are offering for sale some 5g plants. This is a slow grow species
in pots and are faster in the ground. It can
tolerate droughts but also responds to water and humidity. Zombialike sun. Cold tolerance is into the mid-twenties F, perhaps a
bit lower. In the garden, to show off the amazing trunk appearance,
one might remove the most peripheral trunks so you can see into the
clump and examine the trunks.

DYPSIS LEPTOCHEILOSSometimes known as the "Teddy Bear Palm", this
species is an absolute must for any garden in the coastal area of
Southern CA. It was introduced about twenty years ago and has proved
to be a gorgeous plant. It in thin trunked, gets to about 20 feet
tall, and has a rusty-orange-red fuzzy crown shaft. The trunk is a
silver blue color with prominent rings. Cold hardiness is into the
mid-twenties F. and along the coast it can take can full sun. Inland
locations would require some sun protection. Most enthusiasts would
list this species on the "top twenty" list for sure. It is becoming
somewhat hard to find lately. Shown here is a 25g plant forming some
trunk. I'm showing various pictures so you can get a feel for the
plant. Also shown are some garden specimens. Although we have very
limited supplies, we sell 5g, 15g and 25 g sizes. The fifth picture
is a habitat photo from Madagascar donate by JS.If you like colorful
palm trees, this species is a "no brainer" for your garden.

RHOPALOSTYLIS SAPIDASHAVING BRUSH PALM
FEATHER DUSTER PALMWe've discussed this great palm previously on
this blog, but I wanted to show a few more pictures and remind you
that we do have a good selection of this great species for sale.
Rhopaolstylis species are from New Zealand. R. sapida
has the most upright leaves of all the species and gets to about 25
feet height. Such heights may take several decades. When I think of
this species, I remember mostly the upright leaves and the thick,
bulging crown shaft. Rhopalostylis sapida would also be on
most people's top twenty list. It can tolerate full sun if you are
within five to eight miles of the ocean in Southern CA. Most people
in other areas give it morning sun or filtered light. In the garden,
getting any significant trunk from a nursery plant may take five to
seven years. Cold tolerance is about 22 or 23 degrees F. I recently
saw some wonderful specimens of this species in the SF Bay area. The
most common mistake is giving it too much sun if you live in a hot
area. Shown here are an assortment of nursery plants we have for
sale. Also shown are photos to demonstrate the two main
characteristics of this species: upright leaves and bulging crown
shaft.

25 gallon size

5 gallon size

15g size

CYCAS GUIZHOUENSISThis small to medium sized
exotic cycad is from China. Only recently has this species been
available. Our hopes are that this species, like many other Chinese
Cycas
species, will have some cold hardiness and be a good grower in
Southern California. It gets about four to six feet of stem height
when mature. The crown width is about eight feet across with leaf
lengths of three to five feet. At the nursery it seems to grow quite
well. Various clients are growing it and most have put it in part day
sun. The last photo, by George Yao, shows the plant in full sun.
Reports are that this species will tolerate a freeze, although more
experience is needed.

Photo from PACSOA website by George Yao

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2012

CYCADS IN LARGER SIZES
FOR THOSE WHO JUST CAN'T WAITCycads, in general, have always been recognized as rare, slow
growing plants. On many species, the trunk or caudex never gets over
three feet in height. The leaves emerge from the top of the caudex
and go upwards a distance of three to eight feet in most cases.
Remember that cycads begin as a very small plant. From a seedling in
most species, to get a caudex of about six inches can take from five
to seven years. Only when the caudex has reached near its genetically
determined full trunk width will one start to see vertical growth of
the stem. Full diameter stem width can take as long as ten to fifteen
years. And, vertical height is usually at the rate of approximately a
half of inch a year.

With this in mind, you can see how a cycad may take twenty five years
or longer to get a one foot vertical height of caudex. Certainly,
some species are faster than others. The common Sago Palm is one of
the faster species. But, even with the common Sago, to achieve a
three foot tall trunk may take twenty years or more. This slow growth
rate and smaller overall vertical size is quite appealing to many
people. It creates a very manageable, easy-to-grow plant for the
garden that doesn't overwhelm space and typically doesn't obstruct a
view. With the wide variety of leaf shapes, appearance and colors
along with the colorful cycad cones, cycads are sought after for
botanical gardens and upscale private gardens. I am showing these
plants because some people want to start with the largest rare cycads
they can find.

Today I thought I'd show you some plants we either have presently or
have had at the nursery in recent times and that show some age. We
have many hundreds of plants of these sizes. In the industry, these
rare species would be considered "large plants". Most I have been
growing for twenty years or more. On some, like Encephalartos
horridus, one rarely sees a caudex over two feet tall. The large
Dioon merolaes shown are almost a century old. I'll show a wide
variety of plants and name each species. These will all be
containerized plants without garden shots in this thread. Jungle
Music has one of the best selections of rare, large cycads of any
nursery in the United States. So, please consider us if you like
these magnificent upscale plants.

Encephalartos horridus

Encephalartos villosus

Encephalartos longifolius

Dioon merolae

Lepidozamia perofskyanna

Zamia furfuracea

Ceratozamia robusta

Ceratozamia species

Encephalartos natalensis

Encephalartos lehmanii

Encephalartos trispinosus

Encephalartos princeps

Cycas thouarsii

Cycas revoluta

Dioon mejiae

Encephalartos altensteinii

Encephalartos arenarius

Macrozamia johnsoni

Dioon angustifolia

Encephalartos longifolius

Encephalartos arenarius

Macrozamia moorei

Dioon merolae

Encephalartos horridus

Encephalartos trispinosus

Encephalartos transvenosus

DIOON MEROLAEThis is a slow growing New World cycad
species
that comes from Mexico. It is very attractive. One
of the things that is particularly nice about this species
is that the crown size is compact and not that large.
For this reason, it fits into a small sunny location
in the garden where no other plant would work. Its
leaves are a silver-green in color and it holds many
leaves. An extremely old plant might have a foot or
two of trunk. In the wild there are specimens that are
possibly a thousand years old with many meters of
trunk, often leaning over toward the ground. But,
from a practical point of view, it is a small plant.
Cold hardiness is into the low 20's F. and it prefers
full sun except for harsh desert climates. We offer
many sizes of this species from seedlings up to
trunked plants that are many decades old.
For mail orders, this is a perfect size to ship. We can
easily ship plants up to the 15g size and even boxed
specimens if needed. Some of the nursery plantsyou see here are extremely old specimens.
The last
pictures shows how new leaves are very upright. If one
cuts off older leaves, this species has very little
lateral spread and can fit into rather small areas. I
hope that you like this cycad; it's one of my favorites.
For upscale landscaping, nothing beats it.

an interesting clustering specimen

DYPSIS LUTESCENSTHE BUTTERLY PALM, THE ARECA PALMThis popular suckering, medium sized palm comes
from Madagascar and surrounding islands by report. It is sometimes
called the "Yellow Cane Palm" because it has as a predominant color
yellow in the trunks, leaf stems and even the leaves. it gets to a
height of about 15 to 20 feet. Sometimes you'll see plants in full
sun that never get over ten feet. It's trunks are typically two to
three inches in diameter, sometimes a silver gray color. It is crown
shafted. Leaves are typically about five feet long. It suckers
freely and as a younger plant looks quite bushy. Over time, many of
the smaller suckers die off giving an eventual plant with perhaps five
to ten stems and sometimes just a few. Leaves are typically flat or
slightly keeled. In habitat, one might say that this is a "complex"
of plants as many variations to this description are evident. In
Southern California, it is not unusual to occasionally see this
species in domestic plantings. Along the coast it can tolerate (and
perhaps prefers) full sun. In far inland areas, some sun protection
is needed. Cold tolerance is into the mid and perhaps lower twenties
F. Shown here with Rusty are some squate 20g plants. We have
various sizes for sale. Also shown is a mature clump at an apartment
building here in Encinitas and another shot of mature foliage.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2012

SABAL RIVERSIDEAND ITS UNKNOWN ORIGINIt is true that there are no native Sabal
species in the community of Riverside, CA. But, this name was coined
from an existing large single Sabal tree that grew many
decades ago in a private residence in Riverside. It is such a popular
species and its progeny have made many seeds over the years, that many
individuals grow it and retain the name, giving credit to the seed
bearing mother plant. By the way, the mother plant no longer exists
in its original estate. No one knows for sure where it originally
came from. The estate owner back then, by report, traveled the world
and had a fascination for palms. Speculation is that he collected
seeds from a large species of Sabal in the Caribbean, but
this was never documented. In any case, this blue-green, thick
trunked, large leafed and super cold hardy species is sought after by
many.

Shown here is a nice 7g plant showing its costopalmate leaves,
blue-green in color, with long petioles and vigorous growth. We have
also shown a five gallon plant and a seedling at the end. You can see
from the photos that some plants display the blue more than others.
Trunk size is 18 to 24 inches, eventual height 20 to 30 feet. Seeds
are black and the trunk eventually (after loss of upper retained leaf
bases) becomes relatively smooth. This species wants full sun, can
tolerate temperatures into the mid teens F. and is being grown in
colder areas like northern California, the Carolinas and central
Texas. It is a great palm for colder desert areas. We try to always
have this species available in a variety of sizes. Be aware that many
palm references won't even deal with this "species" because it's
natural origin is not known.

ENCEPHALARTOS KISAMBOWe have found that this Central African
cycad species is a quick growing plant
and has a very green leaf with a distinctive
appearance. It is easy to grow and has
some frost tolerance, probably into the
mid twenties F. It can develop a six
foot trunk with leaves than can be
eight to ten feet long. It will tolerate
sun except in inland areas. To the right
is first a nice citrus pot plant, then a
15g plant. Below is a picture of a
garden specimen, a close-up of
the leaf of a 15g container plant,
and a male cone. We have all sizes
for sale up to boxed specimens.

PRITCHARDIA GLABRATAAs you might know by now, I am quite fond of
all the Hawaiian Fan Palm. This is the only native species of
palms in Hawaii. Pritchardia glabrata is native to Maui
and the Island of Lanai. It ha gone by the name of
Pritchardia lanaiensis in the past. It is medium sized with
mature height ten to twenty feet. The leaves are green both top
and bottom. The petioles are shiny green. The leaf shape is
basically flat with leaf segments drooping down toward their
ends. Crown width is ten feet or a bit more. We were fortunate
to get a few very nice 15g plants of this species recently (see
photos). They are good sized and very attractive plants. This
species can grow in coastal full sun or filtered light. In hot
inland areas, sun protection might be needed. Cold tolerance is
in the mid-twenties F. The mature plant photos were taken by
HJD. Note on all the photos how the leaves are basically flat
with prominent green coloring. For those who think all fan palms
are "desert palms", this one will prove you wrong.

Photo by HJD

Photo by HJD

Photo by HJD

PRITCHARDIA SPECIES
LARGE 15G PLANTSWhen we got the Pritchardia glabrata
above, we also got in a few very large 15g Pritchardia of
undetermined species. They were grown by a backyard grower in the
eastern Del Mar area. I am not a Pritchardia taxonomist, but
these plants seem to resemble Pritchardia affinis to me.
They have somewhat triangular shaped leaves (not circular), have a
long green and clean petiole, are green on both sizes and have little
if any tomentum. For these reasons, I think they may be affinis. I
asked the grower if they were and he said "yea, I did have some
affinis seeds but don't remember if these were from those seeds". In
any case, they are huge 15g plants, grown in full coastal sun.
Overall height in the pots is about eight feet. Trunk basal diameter
is four to five inches. I've shown a picture of a Pritchardia
affinis below so you might get a prediction of what these will
eventually look like. Cold t olerance should be in the mid-twenties
F. range.

PRITCHARDIA MINORA SMALLER PRITCHARDIA SPECIESMany people like this species because of its
small stature. Not only is the trunk thin (about four to six inches),
but the overall height is often only ten to twelve feet. Domestically
grown plants can be a bit taller, but the trunk diameter is thin.
This is why the species has its name "minor", meaning "small". Native
to the island of Kauai, this species live at high elevation natively
in the Waimea Canyon area. The leaves are about two feet wide, at
maturity circular in shape, and the leaves are prominently pleated.
We typically have a nice selection of this species for sale.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2012

TRINTHRINAX CAMPESTRISThis South American
suckering fan palm comes from Argentina and Uruguay. From these
locations, you might suspect it could have quite a bit of cold
hardiness, and this is the case with not only this species of Trithrinax, but of the genus as a
whole. Availability of seeds of this species has been sparse to
nonexistent. And, as a young plant, it is quite slow growing.
Consequently, to get a good sized container plant can take a decade or
more. We were fortunate to locate some very nice 15g plants as
shown. I'd estimate their age at 12 years. They are dividing and
very chunky at the base. They are totally acclimated to full hot sun
and are intensely blue. This is a perfect selection for someone who
lives in an interior area with lots of heat.

Overall height of this species is up to twenty feet. Multiple stems
are produced, but usually the number is just several. Leaves are
small, typically about two feet wide. The segments of the leaves are
pointed and sharp. Trunks retain old leaf bases but, like
Washingtonia, eventually fall off. This is
a drought tolerant species and can take temperatures well into the
100's F. and cold tolerance is into the teens. We also have 5g and
seedlings. It is extremely rare to find beautiful 15g plants as
shown. Of note, most specimens I've seen are blue. The last two
photos show a mature plant that is blue-green in color, probably due
to the fact that it's not getting full sun.

TRITHRINAX SCHIZOPHYLLA
aka TRITHRINAX BIFLABELLATAI also wanted to remind
you about this species today because we recently got in a few very
large 15g plants. In the palm world, there is an argument over
whether T. schizophylla and
biflabellata are the same
species. Taxonomists have presently lumped the two together into the
species of T. schizophylla.
This species has a wide distribution from Bolivia, across through
Paraguay and into southern Brasil and Argentina.

This
is a suckering species. Like T. campestris, it is so unusual to see
that few nurserymen have ever heard of it. There is almost no
information on the Internet about it. It is a palmate palm, suckers,
and gets to about 15 feet tall. Compared to Trithrinax
campestris, shown above, it is less blue.
But, the leaves are blue-green as shown here. We have over the years
had small plants of this species available. Recently we acquired some
very nice 5 gallon plants as well as these large 15g. These are
already suckering with one to two stems. This species likes sun, can
tolerate some drought, and is probably cold hardy into the low 20's
F. An acquaintance of mine, Gaston Torres, took the habitat picture
below in Argentine habitat. (from PACSOA Website). For those of you
who want something different and experience cold weather, this is
another unusual species to try. They are not quite as cold hardy as
C. campestris.

Photo by G. Torres in habitat

TRACHYCARPUS TAKILTHE KUMAON PALM

This species comes from a very high mountainous
area of northern India. It grows at elevations above 7000 feet
and sees bitterly cold winters. Because of its native habitat,
it has been touted and hoped by many to be the most cold hardy of the
species of this genus. It certainly can tolerate temperatures
below 15 degrees F., but its lowest tolerance is still being
determined. In appearance, it is similar to Trachycarpus
fortunei. On mature trees and compared to the common
Windmill Palm, however, it is taller with a thicker trunk, has a
bigger crown of leaves with more actual leaves in the crown and larger
individual leaves. The leaves are also more stiff than the
fortunei. The trunk tends to lose its fibers more readily,
giving it a cleaner appearing trunk. A field note for
distinguishing this species is that the hastula (a flap of tissue at
the junction of the leaf stem with the palmate leaf) is twisted and
askew. Fortunei are not this way. Growers also comment on
how the trunk of containerized plants is a bit more tidy with
prominent hairs near the point of emerging new leaves.

Trachycarpus takil first became recognized as a
species in the past fifteen or so years. Research on this (and
other Trachycarpus) species has been done by Tobias Spanner
and Martin Gibbons. Tobias has also been a source for authentic
seeds of this species. The trick from a commercial point of view
is to be sure you have the right thing. As a seedling, it is
near impossible to be sure what you have. We recently got in
some very nice 15g plants that I feel are the true takil.
Note the close up views of the off-center hastula. Also note the
paper-like long fibers in the crown and the leaves that seem stiff and
don't reflex down. We have a limited number of these available
in the 15g size. We also have smaller plants. I wish to
thank my friends, Tobias and Martin, for allowing me to show you the
last two photos from habitat.

habitat photo by T.S. & M.G.

photo by T.S. and M.G.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

SABAL MINORCOLD HARDY DWARF PALMETTO PALMThis palm is the most
northerly native palm in the United States. It's habitat extends
from Texas east, through the Gulf sates and Florida, and up into the
Carolinas. In Texas it can be found near Dallas and its
range extends well south into Mexico. As you might imagine, the
Latin derivation for the species name refers to "small".

The size of this species is quite variable. Depending on the
native locality, trunks can be non-existent or up to ten feet.
On the average specimen, I'd estimate height to be about five perhaps
six feet. But, shorter and taller plants do exist.
It is common in some areas to see trunks crawling along the ground (arborescent
trunks). I'll see this in old potted plants; the palm seems to
crawl from one side of the pot toward the other. The leaves are
about three to four feet wide, deeply divided into stiff segments.
They are costapalmate leaves. Sometimes these leaflets have a
gap between two groups of segments. One easy way to identify
this plant is to see a blossom spike develop and go above the plant.
As a rule, when you see this, you are looking at a Sabal minor if the
leaves are deeply divided. Seeds, as shown here, are small and
black. The mature plant shown in the ground here is from Balboa
Park, San Diego.

Cold hardiness is quite remarkable. It can easily tolerate the
mid-teens F. and I've received reports of it surviving much colder
temperatures. It can survive in partial sun and has an affinity
for water. Along the coast, it easily tolerates full sun as
well. Shown here are 15g plants and a band. We usually
have this species in stock, one size or another.

ALLAGOPTERA ARENARIATHE SEASHORE PALM, THE SAND PALM
A DWARF PINNATE TYPE PALM Since I talked about a dwarf
fan palm above, I thought I'd jump right to a dwarf pinnate palm from
Brazil. The reason it's called the "Seashore" or "Sand
Palm" is because it lives in a sandy environment right next to the
ocean in southern Brazil. There it can be found literally on sand
dunes close to the water. It's height is typically six to eight feet tall. Its leaves
are plumose (fluffy) and about four to six feet long. The leaflets
are very thin. Color is a silver-green. This is a single trunk
palm. But, with so many leaflets, they appear to be suckering. It is
known that individual trunks can bifurcate, but taxonomists say this
species does not sucker. Also, note the peculiar blossom of this
species as shown. This
is an attractive foreground palm where view over the plant is
needed. It is unarmed. Mature specimens can be wider than they are tall.

Presented here are some band sized plants just available as well as a 5g plant.
This species likes sun along the coast and is cold tolerant down to
the lower 20's F. It's growth rate is slow to medium.
Plants can tolerate partial sun as well.

RHAPIDOPHYLLUM HYSTRIXTHE NEEDLE PALM, ANOTHER DWARF PALM
THE WORLD'S MOST COLD HARDY PALM!To finish off this series on dwarf palms, I
thought I'd mention this really unique species from the Southern
United States. This particular species, the Needle Palm, is
without doubt, the most cold hardy of them all. It can tolerate
temperatures below zero degrees F. People have been able to grow this
species (sometimes with cold protection) in "non-palm growing" areas
such as Utah, New Mexico, Ohio, New York, etc. It is not a tall
species, typically getting to about eight feet. It is a fan palm, it
suckers freely and in many areas tolerates full sun. I like it the
most when it's grown in strong filtered light or part day sun. The
last photo shows how, in less than full sun, this species shows a "Rhapis-looking"
leaf with a dark, olive green appearance. It is native to southeast
United States. We typically have available an assortment of sizes
from seedlings and 5g plants and sometimes 15g plants. This is a slow
growing species and for me to make a nice 15g takes about 8 years. It
is called the Needle palm because of long, thick needles on its
trunks. Seeds are produced on very short flower stocks, so collecting
seeds means you have to carefully reach in between needles to get your
harvest.

ARENGA ENGLERITHE DWARF SUGAR PALM

This suckering pinnate palm is native to lower
mountainous areas of Japan and Taiwan. It is usually under ten feet
in height and is often as wide as it is tall. It is not as small as
the three species above but would be considered a rather small palm.
It is a suckering, multi-stemmed species with woven fibrous material
on the trunks. The leaf color is green and leaves are typically five
to eight feet long. The leaflets have jagged ends and are silver on
the underside. This silver color always helps you distinguish this
species from Caryota, which are always green on the under
side of the leaf.

This species is quite cold hardy and known to grow in northern
California and colder parts of Texas. It can be grown in filtered
light or full sun if you are in a coastal area. Because of its
fullness, it is a great species to "hide the neighbor", thus giving
privacy. Shown here is a whole assortment of available sizes,
starting at one gallon on up to a boxed specimen. This species is a
slow growing plant and it takes many years to produce a good sized
specimen. The last picture shows a plant in full sun at Balboa Park,
San Diego. An interesting thing is that the flowers from this species
are extremely fragrant and as nice smelling as a Gardenia.
If you ever collect fruit, wear gloves as the fruit will make your
hands itch.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

CHAMAEDOREA SEIFRITZIIA TYPE OF BAMBOO PALM

This medium sized, suckering
and shade loving palm comes from Southern Mexico and parts of Central
America. It is one of the most commonly used and sought after of
all the species in the genus. It has very thin trunks, rather
short leaves and typically gets up to eight, perhaps ten feet overall
height. The flower brachts are orange. When someone says
"Bamboo Palm", this is the species they areI want to tell you why this species is far from my favorite species of
Chamaedorea. But, realize that I do grow them for
people who "have to have them". Such people are usually
landscapers who are trying to fulfill what the architect called for.
It's the only "bamboo palm" known by most landscape architects.
But, as someone who grows lots of species of Chamaedoreas, I
will readily admit that there are far superior and I think prettier
Bamboo Palms. In my opinion, Chamaedorea hooperianaand
costaricana are much prettier.
C. seifritzii also has
more problems with fungal infections than the others. On the positive
side, this species does have curiously thin canes and tends not to
take up too much room horizontally. Regarding culture, this is a
filtered light species and tolerates cold temperatures down into the
mid, perhaps low twenties F.

CYCAS SPECIES
A BIT OF A MYSTERYAt our nursery, we do have a large number of
plants. Sometimes this causes plants to "get lost". In
other words, one of my workers will say something like "look what I
found". This plant is one of these discoveries. Joaquin,
who's been with me for seventeen years, tells me I brought this plant
up from San Diego when we opened our Encinitas location. It's
been outdoors in our growing grounds in full sun all this time.
This gives it an age of twenty years plus. It has short leaves
with short, minimally armed petioles. The caudex is about a foot
tall with hundreds of old leaf base scales. Diameter of the
caudex is under six inches. This is a very compact plant for
it's age.

Re the exact species, I'm not quite sure. I did have some small
Cycas armstrongii back then, but this plant doesn't really
look like this species. Also, I was also bringing in an
assortment of Cycas seeds from Thailand and other parts of
Asia at that time. I think I'll just leave it at "species" and
hope that a future cone may help with the ID'ing of this plant.
It may end up being Cycas media (see below)or a
similar species. In any case, it's small and very attractive..

CYCAS MEDIAThis species of Australian cycad is a
bit confusing because there are multiple varieties of it in the wild.
The late Ken Hill described at least three different forms in
habitat. It is a green colored, medium sized plant with stems
typically up to six or seven feet, leaves four to five feet long and
usually single stemmed without branching. In Australia, some plants
are found near the coast with other colonies far inland. It can be
grown domestically in full sun along the coast or filtered light
inland. Cold hardiness is probably in the mid to lower twenties F.
It likes good draining soil. Shown here are several fifteen gallon
plants with close ups of the caudex and leaf. The last two photos
show a mature female plant in cone. Note how the leaves "lay down" to
display the female cone. This is commonly seen in cycads. Overall, I
recommend this species because it is lush and tropical looking,
doesn't get too large, and is fairly easy to grow.

TRINTHRINAX CAMPESTRISThis South American
suckering fan palm comes from Argentina and Uruguay. From these
locations, you might suspect it could have quite a bit of cold
hardiness, and this is the case with not only this species of Trithrinax, but of the genus as a
whole. Availability of seeds of this species has been sparse to
nonexistent. And, as a young plant, it is quite slow growing.
Consequently, to get a good sized container plant can take a decade or
more. We were fortunate to locate some very nice 15g plants as
shown. I'd estimate their age at 12 years. They are dividing and
very chunky at the base. They are totally acclimated to full hot sun
and are intensely blue. This is a perfect selection for someone who
lives in an interior area with lots of heat.

Overall height of this species is up to twenty feet. Multiple stems
are produced, but usually the number is just several. Leaves are
small, typically about two feet wide. The segments of the leaves are
pointed and sharp. Trunks retain old leaf bases but, like
Washingtonia, eventually fall off. This is
a drought tolerant species and can take temperatures well into the
100's F. and cold tolerance is into the teens. We also have 5g and
seedlings. It is extremely rare to find beautiful 15g plants as
shown. Of note, most specimens I've seen are blue. The last two
photos show a mature plant that is blue-green in color, probably due
to the fact that it's not getting full sun.

SYAGRUS SCHIZOPHYLLAARIKURY PALMThis is a single trunk species of Syagrus from
northern Brazil. Rare clustering species are known to exist.
It is very slow growing and a mature plant typically has ten feet of
trunk or a bit more. Trunks are thin, typically six to eight
inches, with adherent old leaf bases. With no trimming, it can
look a bit scrappy. But, with adequate care, it is much more
handsome. The petioles have some rought "armor" but no actual
spines. Interestingly, in a container at the nursery, they are
not that slow growing. But, when put into the ground, they are
not as fast as you'd expect. Perhaps this is purely a physical
thing as the leaf stems are very crowded. If you look at the
mature plants, there are a lot of leaves in one foot of trunk space.
This species likes sun and is cold tolerant to the upper twenties F,
perhaps lower. We have a pretty good selection of this species;
shown here are a 5g plant and a boxed specimen.

Photo by Gileno Machado, PACSOA

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2012

CEROXYLONWAX PALM or ANDEAN WAX PALMI am showing here some interesting 5g
Ceroxylon species that we have available in very limited numbers.
I am going to list some of the characteristics of this genus below.
1. Eleven species in the genus, all pinnate, single trunk, tall,
and from Andean areas in South America
2. Tallest palms in the world with some reaching heights of over
100 feet.
3. Grow naturally at the highest elevation of any palm, some to
9000 feet.
4. Strikingly beautiful crowns with silver coloration to the
underside of the trunks
5. Famous for their straight, upright white or near white trunks
with prominent rings
6. Cold hardy into the lower 20's F. and can be grown in the San
Francisco Bay area as well as Southern California. Not an ideal
choice for hot and humid areas or for extremely dry, hot areas like
the desert.
7. Are dioecious, so you need a male and a female to set viable
seeds
8. Best to start in filtered light in good draining soil, give
lots of water, especially when juvenile, and let them "grow into the
sun".br />
9. Rarely available. Some species easier to grow than
others.
110. All except two of the pictures below were taken in Southern
California.

Ceroxylon alpinum

Ceroxylon alpinum

Ceroxylon species/span>

Ceroxylon species

Ceroxylon amizonicum

Ceroxylon amazonicum

Photo by M. Gibbons

Ceroxylon species

Ceroxylon species

Ceroxylon species

Ceroxylon species

Ceroxylon species

Ceroxylon species

Ceroxylon sp. by JS

DYPSIS LANCEOLATAAN UNUSUAL SINGLE TRUNK SPECIMENThis typically clustering species of Dypsis
from Madagascar and the Comoro Islands grows at high elevation and
doesn't get too tall. I'd say that 95% of this species that I've
grown are clustering. But, you will get single trunk plants and
I'm showing one here. Maximum height should be about twenty
feet. They like morning sun or good filtered light. I'd not
recommend full sun for this species. The crown shaft is an
attractive blue-green and the trunk has prominent rings. Leaves
are six to eight feet long with prominent petioles. Cold
tolerance is probably into the mid-twenties F. It likes good
draining soil. This specimen is in a 25g pot and very beautiful.

ENCEPHALARTOS TRISPINOSUSA STUNNING BLUE AFRICAN CYCADThis is a blue species of South African cycad
from the Eastern Cape. It is slow growing and never gets too
large. A very old plant would have two feet of trunk. The
color is blue if it is given adequate direct sun and heat. In
shade or inside a humid greenhouse it will turn green. The blue
color is from a waxy substance given off by the leaves and the amount
of this wax is related to the intensity of the sun the plant receives.
I.e., in brighter sun the plant produces more wax and gets more blue.
Thus, along the coast a specimen may not be as blue as a plant more
inland. Interestingly enough, when you consider desert areas,
the sun is too harsh for this species. In such an area it must
be given partial sun. But, these lesser hours of inland intense sun
will still produce a nice blue specimen. Of note, if you wipe
the leaves, the wax comes off and the leaf is green. So, don't
do this! Cold tolerance is into the low 20's f. It likes
good draining soil and not too much water.

The first four photos are of a nice specimen. In addition I am
showing an assortment of plants from the nursery along with a mature
plant or two. Of note, we have a great selection of this species
from seedlings on up to coning sized mature specimens. Shipping
these plants to customers is quite easy and we do it all the time.,
but only within the United States because of CITES laws. This
species can be grown indoors, but only in areas with intensely bright
sun coming into the house.

One final comment: This species is very similar to Encephalartos
horridus. Many people have trouble telling them apart.
The differences are in different appearances of the cones and
different orientation of the prominent barbs on the horridus
leaflets. Otherwise, they are very similar.

TRITHRINAX ACANTHICOMAAKA TRITHRINAX BRASILIENSISTo finish off the genus of
Trithrinax,
I thought I'd mention the third and last species of this genus. It is
a single trunk species from southeastern Brazil. Although taller
plants are reported, the usual height I've seen in cultivation is 25
feet or less. The trunk is about a foot in diameter and covered with
fibers, matting and irregularly oriented needles. The latter is a
very prominent feature. I find it quite intriguing. But, for some
people it's just too much and "scares" them. If you look at the last
photo below you will see the spines. This is a full sun species and
tolerates inland and even desert climates. Although it's distribution
is further north (in S.A.) than T. campestris,
it has very good cold tolerance. This species has tolerated the upper
teens F. It is a fairly quick grower, faster than the other two
species by far. Its leaves are larger than other species above and
typically are about four feet across. If I were to give an comparison
to a more common palm, it's like a Windmill Palm on steroids and with
a spiny type trunk. But, It's more robust than the Windmill and has
larger leaves. Shown here is a 7g nursery plant. We have available
seedlings, 5g, 7g, 15g and perhaps a few very large boxes.

I've been growing this species for 35 years and have always known it
as T. acanthicoma and have chosen to stick with this name.
But, taxonomists (who love to change names on a regular basis) now
call it "T. brasiliensis".

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2012

CLINOSTIGMA SAVORYANUMTHE PACIFIC BEAUTY PALMClinostigma is a genus of
single trunk, pinnate palms from the south Pacific islands. Most are
from lower elevations, but some, including this one, grow at
elevations that are higher and give us potential to them here. Specifically,
Clinostigma savoryanum is from Bonin Island in southern Japan.
It can get up to forty feet tall in habitat with a thin trunk of only
about ten inches. Its long crown shaft is a very light green and
sometimes blue-green. It grows at a medium rate and along our
coastal areas should be acclimated to full sun. I do not think
this species would be good for colder inland areas. I estimate
cold tolerance, at best, to be about 30 degrees F. But, many are
growing this species here and most of the photos below are from Southern
California. We have available 5g plants and perhaps a few 15g.

Clinostigma species

PRITCHARDIATHE HAWAIIAN PALMThis genus is mostly native to Hawaii, but some
species
extend into the South Pacific. In fact, the only palm truly native to
the HI Islands if Pritchardia. At our nursery, we
specialize in the native species of Pritchardia that are from
Hawaii because they are more cold tolerant and easier to grow in
Southern CA.. All are tropical fan palms
and all are very desirable. For those of you who "only
like feather palms", think again. These plants are
gorgeous and add a real diversity to the garden. There
are about 25 or so species in this genus, and at any time
we typically offer ten or more species for sale. They
tend to be small to medium sized palms, typically
under 20 feet of height with thin or medium sized
trunks. The leaves are near entire and often flat in
their shape. They are easy to grow and some tolerate
temperatures into the mid-twenties F. In coastal areas
they take full or part day sun. Inland they may be grown
in strong filtered light.

We have all sizes from seedlings, medium sized plants on up to boxed specimens. Shown here are an array of sizes
and species. Come visit us and you'll be pleasantly
surprised to see that we have hundreds of this genus
for sale. Over the past 3 decades we have sold
thousands of Pritchardia of all species and
everyone loves them. We are one of the only nurseries
in the country that offers so many species and
sizes of Pritchardia. Once again, Pritchardia are
the only true palm species native to the Hawaiian
Islands. All other palm species were introduced by man!

I am showing a few mature garden and habitat plants here.
Note how some are quite tall (P. schattaueri) and others
don't get over about ten feet. Some have very flat leaves,
others are wavy. Some have small leaves, others as big as
a dinner table.

Pritchardia schattaueri
by A. Bredison

Pritchardia beccariana

Pritchardia beccariana box

dwarf species, 15 years
old

Pritchardia martii

Pritchardia hardyi

COPERNICIA BAILEYANATHE BAILEY FAN PALMIf you mention this
magnificent and large fan palmto any palm enthusiast, he
will immediately praise this gorgeous species. Native to Cuba, it has
a thick and fairly tall trunk with beautiful large, upright leaves.
When I first saw this species in specimen size at Fairchild Botanical
Garden in Miami, I was awestruck. I will share pictures from that
trip with you below. It was a great tragedy when Hurricane Andrew
blew down some of these huge relics. As I recall, staff at the garden
were able to salvage some of them by up-righting the trunks and
bracing them.

Trunk size on this species is up to about fifty feet with a trunk
diameter of two feet. The trunk is clean and smooth, tan in color.
Leaves are circular, upright, and the crown size is about fifteen
feet. Leaves are green and the large crown is a bit crowded appearing
but gorgeous. The underside of the leaves is slightly glaucous. Also
note how the petioles are very light colored, almost white, with small
black armor. The leaf stems are very attractive.

One seldom sees this species for sale because growing it from seed is
painfully slow. We recently obtained some outdoor grown 5g plants
that are showing numerous fan leaves. It has taken seven years to
produce this size of plant. This species likes sun and appears to be
cold hardy into the mid, possibly the lower 20's F. If you like this
species, you just have to obtain what's available and be patient.
It's like growing a Jubaea. It just takes time to get an
enormous specimen, but if you give it good culture you should be
successful. Fortunately, growth rate in the ground is faster than in
pots.

We have limited numbers of these for sale. This includes 5g plants as
shown and a limited number of bands that are very nice. If you
would like to try one of these really special plants, let us know
soon.

C. baileyana
on right

Juvenile plant in ground in Southern CA

Close up of petioles younger plant

Juvenile plants in habitat

ENCEPHALARTOS MANIKENSISThis species from Zimbabwe, Africa, has always
been a bit of a confusion because this area has several similar
species and identifying them taxonomically was difficult. For this
reason, a few decades ago, plants were considered to be in the "Manikensis
Complex". Other put into this group later became species such as
E. gratus, E. chimanimaniensis, concinus, bandula, etc.
Encephalartos manikensis is a medium sized cycad. Trunks can get
up to three or even five feet tall. Clustering does occur. Leaves
are about six feet long, leaflets one inch wide. Leaves are held
upright at about a 45 degree angle.

As it is a Central African cycad, one will find that it does better
with humidity than some of the South African species and is not quite
as cold hardy. For this reason, it does quite well in the SE areas of
the U.S. where cold is not an issue. It will tolerate a freeze and
can usually take temperatures down into the mid-twenties. At our
nursery, plants has easily withstood temperatures of 25 degrees F.
without any problems. Sun exposure is another issue that you must
consider. Along the coast, full sun is tolerated well. In inland
locations, consider part day sun. In desert areas, filtered light
would be best. I'm showing here a whole assortment of plants, from
boxed specimens to seedlings. Also shown is a garden specimen. We
have a good supply of this species in all sizes for sale.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2012

VEITCHIA ARECINAA PALM THAT'S FROM VANUATU AND GOOD FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAThere are about eight
species of Veitchia in the world. All are from the islands
of
the South Pacific and are single trunk. All are pinnate
and some get quite tall. Many feel that species of Veitchia
are
a good alternative to the King Palm. They tend to have dark
hairs and coloration in the upper stem at the crown and in the
proximal petioles. (see photo of 5g plant). On most
species, cold tolerance is a little bit less than the King Palm, but
many can be grown here. I think they are, in general,
potentially more attractive than Archontophoenis in a way and certainly get taller.

Veitchia arecina specifically is from Vanuatu. Vanuatu
is an island that is east of Australia and northeast of New Caledonia.
Remember, a lot of great palms for us come from New Caledonia. Trunk height
of Veitchia arecina can
get well over fifty feet and its diameter is about a foot. So, it's
a thin but tall crown shafted palm. It's base is swollen, the
trunk is ringed and the crown shaft is silver green and long.
Along the coast here it wants full sun. Inland areas may need
protection. Rate of growth is medium. Shown here is a 15g
and 5g plant, along with some garden specimens. We try to always have
an assortment of Veitchia in stock.

LIVISTONA NITIDA
AKA LIVISTONA
CARNARVON GORGEI am discussing
this species now because some people get Brahea nitida mixed
up with Livistona nitida. Both have the same species word "nitida",
which means shiny in Latin. This is also a fan palm with shiny leaves
that are green. But, as you'll see, it has much more divided leaves
than the Brahea and is from Australia, not Mexico. Also, the
underside of the leaves are not white. It has the same one foot
diameter as the Brahea but gets to heights of about 100 feet
in many decades. Livistona nitida is similar to other
Livistona like australis and decipiens in a
way, but gets taller and is more robust.

With the five gallon plant to the right you can see how the leaves are
heavily divided into segments and the petioles are armed with barbs.
In the 15g size you see the same appearance. The last photo by Daryl
O'Connor (PACSOA) shows how robust and tall this species is. They
obviously like sun. Cold hardiness is into the low twenties F. or
even into the upper teens

Australia, from PACSOA, by Daryl O'Connor

DIOON CAPUTOIThis is a very rare species of Dioon
with its habitat being in the area of Pueblo in the country of
Mexico. Several decades ago one could only dream about this species
with only about a hundred plants in habitat. In the 1990's, some
seeds did come out of habitat and it is occasionally seen for sale.
It is not a big cycad. Trunks are typically one to two feet, rarely
to three feet. The leaflets are very thin with gaps between the
leaflets. The color is green or gray-green. Leaves are stiff and
usually two to three feet long. It is slow growing and prefers sun
along the coast or very bright filtered light. It is an endangered
species and next to impossible to find in a nursery. We are quite
fortunate to offer you plants in a variety of sizes, from band up to
15g size. Mature plant photos and a female cone are provided by a
friend of mine, Mark Mason. Although the coldest limit is not known,
I'd estimate cold tolerance to be in the upper teens F.

LIVISTONA BENTHAMIISince I just discussed a
Livistona species, I thought I'd mention another that has
very different leaves. Be aware that nomenclature of
Livistona has changed over the last two decades. Names
have been changed and "locality names" previously used have been
replaced with more taxonomically "correct" names. Names like "blackdown
table" and "carnavon gorge" are no longer utilized. (see species
above) Such old names described localities where the species
grew. Be aware that the distribution of Livistona
species is wide, spreading from Africa through China and
Indochina, down through the Philippines and Indonesia into
Australia. The greatest number of species are in Australia and
have recently been re-worked by botanist John Dowe.

Livistona benthamii is native to Australia and Papua
New Guinea. Even though it is native to lowland, wet areas in
the native habitat, we have found that this species can be grown
in Southern California. It is a tall, thin trunked species and
can grow to fifty feet. Old leaf stalks tend to stay on the
trunk unless removed. If you manually removed them, small
"knobs" are left on the trunk, similar to what you'd see with
Phoenix dactylifera. The leaves can be near spherical with
leaflets going close to 360 degrees around the circle of the
leaf. Leaflets are deeply divided with long segments.
Sometimes the terminal portion of the leaflets can droop
downwards. Growth rate is moderate. It likes sun and can take
temperatures into the mid to low 20's F. Shown here is a 5g
plant we photographed yesterday. Note the deeply divided
leaves. On the mature specimens from gardens, note the knobby
surface of this interesting trunk. I find it sort of cool.

LYTOCARYUM WEDDELIANUMAKA SYAGRUS WEDDELIANUMThis is a dwarf palm from South America. It is
very cute and petite. It is a pinnate palm with a fibrous thin trunk
and short leaves, typically about three to four feet long. It has had
various name changes over the years and is presently part of the
Syagrus genus. If there were a "true" Baby Queen Palm, this
would be it. It seldom gets over eight feet tall and is very slow
growing. Many are growing this species in Southern California. I've
found they do best if started in filtered light and can grow into the
sun where needed. Interestingly, this is a species that seems to do
well with neglect. If you give them too much attention (water,
fertilizer, etc.) they seem to react by having problems. So, just
plant this one and forget it. Cold tolerance is in the mid-twenties
F. Shown here is a 15g plant and a big 5g. We only have one or two
15g for sale presently. Also shown are garden specimens and a close
up of a blossom. Since this species takes up so little space, almost
anyone in these parts could try one.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

PHILODENDRON SPECIESA FEW RARELY SEEN
SPECIESI am not a Phlodendron expert,
but will make a few comments about a great companion plant for you
palm enthusiasts. Philodendron are native to the
Americas and Western Hemisphere. Some can be found in Australia
and Pacific Islands, but are felt to not be indigenous to these areas.
There are between 500 and 1000 species with many other non-described
species in rainforests.

Most Philodendrons can climb. Such plants can start in
the ground, find a nearby trunk, and climb up that trunk. Or,
they can begin their lives epiphytically up in a tree and climb along
a limb of that tree. Some are totally terrestrial, but this is
rare. In the fourth row below there are photos showing the
running stem of two plants with roots coming out and these roots
attach to a tree. Philoendron cannifolia is more of a
rosette type plant and doesn't seem to have the tendency to be a
climber. But, it could live epiphytically up in the canopy.

The plants shown here came from a botanical garden in California.
We trade with such gardens from time to time and that's how I get
these rare species. Most are unnamed species from the wild.
On the latter, we have assigned fictitious names here just so you can
communicate with us if needed. In the bottom row, you see a
picture of Philodendron climbing a trunk (background to right).
Just like the boy in the last photo, they slowly inch their way up the
trunk.

Some of these are striking with different leaf forms. You won't
see these for sale in almost any nursery. One would plant them
near the base of a trunk and they'll do the rest. Figure they
want filtered light. All can take a freeze but absolute cold
hardiness is unknown. We have all of these for sale, although in
limited numbers.

Philodendron elegans

Philodendron elegans

Philodendron species simple leaf

Philodendron sp. simple leaf

Philodendron sp. "batwing" Brazil

Philodendron sp. "batwing"
Brazil

Philodendron sp. "staghorn
fern"

Philodendron sp. "staghorn
fern"

A climbing Philodendron sp.

Another climbing Philodendron

Philodendron cannifolia, a
non-climbing species

Climbing Philodendron to right, background

Boy climbing Areca catechu in Bali,
Indonesia

CYRTOSTACHYS RENDARED SEALING WAX PALM, LIPSTICK PALM
AN EXOTIC PALM THAT MOST OF YOU CAN'T GROW OUTDOORSAbout once or twice a week, I get a call from
someone who wants to grow this exotic species in their yard. For
this reason, I'm writing about it this morning. I've gotten
calls from such places as Las Vegas, Dallas and Madison, Wisconsin.
Don't laugh; people just love this species. In the continental
U.S., there is hardly any location where the Lipstick Palm can survive
over the long run outdoors. The problem is the winter's cold.
This species rapidly succumbs at temperatures under 47 degrees F.
I mean, overnight! Back in my more reckless years, I'd try these
again and again. But, one nights failure of the heaters and all
of the Red Sealing Wax were gone. Nowadays I don't heat the
greenhouses and don't even have a chance with this species.

This species is native to southern Thailand, Malaysia, and some
Indonesian islands. It is a clumping palm and can get to sixty feet.
It's hallmark is the red crown shaft. Thus the common names.
It wants sun in the tropics but can be grown in filtered light.
Here in Southern California it wants a greenhouse. Or, if you
are super industrious, you can try it inside the house but it'll be a
challenge.

In South Florida there are some being grown outdoors, but winter cold
fronts put them at risk of death. In HI, they seem to thrive
where winter lows are hardly ever below 55 degrees near the water.
Remember, below 47 degrees F. and this species is gone. I can
get one for a real enthusiast, but they are always quite expensive.
Two photos below show interior environmentally controlled culture of
this species in Southern CA.

ZAMIA PSEUDOPARASITICAAN EPIPHYTIC CYCAD

This is a very unique cycad species from eastern
Panama because it is an epiphytic species that lives on the limbs of
overhead trees. Its leaves are three to nine feet long, pendant, and
hang down toward the ground. Trunks have been reported up to a meter
long. Therefore, you would look up into the overhead canopy and see a
cycad growing with long leaves hanging down, out of the tree, toward
you. It is truly a remarkable and beautiful species. Contrast this
growth habitat to the normal terrestrial cycad.

Growing it domestically can be a challenge. Most recommend growing it
in a basket with quick draining soil. If you do this, you must
maintain adequate moisture to the roots. This is because of the
Atlantic slope location of its habitat, where it is used to very heavy
rainfall. When we grow these, we mix our cycad soil with 50% coarse
sphagnum moss. Water just gushes through the pot. We've used baskets
as well. This species likes filtered light and is damaged by
temperatures below freezing. Recently we've not had these available,
but found one in our inventory. I have photographed it for you here.
It has approximately a 2 inch caudex with two leaves and two new
leaves emerging. The plant in the orange container is from a previous
plant we had. The other pictures are from RM in Panama. These
include a close up of a caudex with no leaves and several hanging
basket plants.

WASHINGTONIA FILIFERACALIFORNIA FAN PALMThis is a single trunked fan palm from Baja,
Mexico with extension of its distribution into Southern California.
We in California like to call it the "California Fan Palm" so we can
claim at least one species native to our state. It has a very
thick trunk. It resembles the Mexican Fan Palm (W. robusta),
but has larger leaves, a more open crown, a much thicker trunk that
seems to shed leaves more quickly and has more cold hardiness. It
will tolerate temperatures into the mid-teens F. One of the reasons
for enthusiasm about this species is its cold hardiness. In domestic
gardens, seeds are often hybridized with robusta. Seeds from
wild locations tend to be pure.

This species is hard to locate. We have some nice one gallon plants
and a few 5g as well. Both of these can easily be shipped. Also
shown are a few mature specimens. The last photo is interesting. It
has a mature W. robusta to the left and what appears to be
filifera to the right. I cannot guarantee that the plant to
the right isn't a hybrid. In any case, not the more open crown and
thicker trunk with the filifera. As the more common Mexican
Fan Palm often suffers from cold damage in marginal areas, many feel
eager to try the W. filifera in their area. Obviously, it
wants full sun. Growth rate is a slower than the robusta,
but still fairly fast growing.

left, W. robusta;
right, W. filifera

BUTIA ERIOSPATHAThis species from Brazil is a good sized palm,
similar
to B. capitata, but with less silver to the leaves. It is
known
for having a brown wooly material on the flower spathe.
Cold hardiness is well into the teens F. Shown here is a 5g
plant. Also pictured is a mature specimen showing the
leaves curving downward toward the ground. I don't think
this species is quite as hardy as the more common Pindo
Palm, but it should go into the upper teens F. It wants full
sun. We've found it to be a good growing species. We have
a few 5g plants for sale as shown.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

ENCEPHALARTOS CAFFERA SMALL SOUTH AFRICAN SUN CYCADThis dwarf
cycad, from the Republic of South Africa and specifically the Eastern
Cape region, likes sun, has short leaves, and never gets a caudex over
a maximum of eight inches in diameter and a similar height. It
is green or gray-green in color, holds about a dozen leaves or less,
and has short leaflets. In my experience, the majority of plants
have a more or less flat leaf in cross section. But, there are
occasional plants that are more plumose or "fluffy" in the way they
display their leaflets. This species is similar to E. ngoyanus,
but lacks spines on the leaflets. It may be one of the most
southern most of the genus Encephalartos. Shown here are an
assortment of nursery plants and a seedling. Note on the garden
plants how small they are. It does require sun, so don't put one
in a small shaded area. In desert areas, give part day sun.
Plants tolerate temperatures down into the low 20's. With
protection during the winter (mulching caudex, wrapping leaves),
perhaps you can grow this in even colder areas..

JUBAEA CHILENSISCHILEAN WINE PALMI have written a very comprehensive article on
this species,
found elsewhere at this website. I'll put the link to this article at
the end below. This species is from South America and can get over
fifty feet tall with the thickest trunk of any palm species.
Specimens over four feet diameter have been reported. They are very
slow growing and it takes decades to get a nice, mature plant. Mature
trunks are clean of leaf bases, the color of the leaves is almost
always green, the leaves are essentially flat in cross section or have
a minimal keel to them. The petioles are unarmed. At the nursery we
have all sizes for sale and
occasional broker large mature specimens. Shown here first is a 5g
plant which is easily shipped for mail order. Next is a 15g which can
also be shipped for those who want to start bigger.

The fourth photo shows how the leaves are flat in cross section and
more or less upright with minimal re-curve. The leaf stems are rather
clean at the base and have no barbs. I am showing several photos of
larger trees in domestic plantings. Note the appearance of the trees
with their thick, semi-smooth trunks. This species is a full sun
plant and is cold tolerant to about 15 degrees F.

I am showing you a picture of mature fruit and seeds. Fruit is yellow
in color. To germinate seeds you would remove this fragrant fruit.
The last photo shows a picture sent to me from a long term customer in
South Carolina. He purchased one of our blue Jubaea chilensis
and was excited that it was keeping the blue color back east. This
photo taken by MB shows how his 15g plant is truly a blue color.

CARYOTA GIGASBLACK TRUNK FISHTAIL, KING KONG,
THAI MOUNTAIN GIANT, ETC.Caryotas are a Fishtail Palm.
Caryota
gigas is a rather recent arrival to the nursery trade. It
is from northern Thailand and has gone by a whole
assortment of common names as mentioned above.
It is known for its very beautiful appearance and for the
thickness of the trunk. It is a giant of a species with
a very sizeable trunk that needs room to grow It tolerates
full sun in most areas but may burn in the desert full sun.
It's growth rate is fast. Cold tolerance is about 22 degrees.
Trunk diameter is 2 to 3 feet and typical overall
height is 35 to perhaps 40 feet. It's very interesting that habitat
height is taller than we're seeing in domestic gardens. The last
photo shows a man standing next to a mature tree. This tree is
much taller than I've seen anywhere in California.

Shown is a good sized 15g plant, perfect for the garden.
Also shown are several photos of a boxed plant,
a 5g plant and a close up of the leaves.
Note that the leaves are very large, sometimes up to
15 feet in length and very wide. It is interesting
to compare this gigas to the Caryota urens.
The latter is quicker growing vertically,
has a thinner trunk and shorter leaves. C. gigas
has an enormous trunk, longer and broader
leaves, produces more shade, and doesn't get
as tall. Make sure you plant either of these two
species a good distance from the house. If you are a
palm enthusiast, you're going to try at least oneCaryota, and this is a very nice species to try.

In habitat, donated
photo, see man at bottom

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012

ENCEPHALARTOS TEGULANEUSA LARGE KENYAN CYCADThis is a
large Central African cycad with an erect trunk up to thirty feet that
is native to Mt. Lolokwe in the center of Kenya. It is a fairly
high elevation plant, up to 2000 feet natively. As shown in the
photos, leaves are four to six feet long and go upwards at about a 60
degree angle. Color is a gray-green, definitely not a lime
color. The leaves are basically flat in cross section.
Leaflets are thin and crowded and have spines pointing toward the
center of the plant.

Like most cycads, this species likes good draining soil. I'd
recommend less than full sun. Perhaps, along the coast, part day
sun. Inland areas would require bright filtered light. At our
nursery, this species tolerated 25 degrees F. with no problem. I
suspect the coldest it will take is a few degrees below this.
Although this species is getting near impossible to find, we do have
an assortment of sizes available including a large, near coning boxed
plant. However, we have no seedlings or smaller plants because seeds
on this species have not been available for about ten years.

THE GENUS
OF RAPHIAPECULIAR PALMS WITH HUGE LEAVESThis is a very interesting yet bewildering genus
of large plants with distribution from Africa, Madagascar and with one
species in the Americas. They are massive plants with one
species having the longest leaves of any palm in the world.
Raphia regalis from Africa reportedly has leaves up to eighty
feet long! Most live in habitats of lower elevation, often
swampy or wet. With this said, surprisingly a few species seem
to grow in Southern California. Some species are single trunk,
others suckering. All have long upright leaves. Leaflet
edges are spiny, see photo. I am going to make specific comments
on three species here. Heights below will probably not be
reached in the average domestic garden in more temperate areas.

1. Raphia farinifera: Usually
single trunk, sometimes suckers, from Central Africa, likes lots of
water, takes sun in coastal areas, gets leaves to seventy feet with a
long petiole. Can take temperatures down to about a freeze.
2. Raphia australis: Not from
Australia, rather from Central Africa. Lowland species.
Surprisingly, perhaps easier to grow than farinifera.
Sixty foot leaves, sometimes suckers, has interesting orange color to
rachis and petiole. (see photos). Similar growing traits.
3. Raphia hookeri: One of my
favorites, I've never had for sale, from central western Africa,
shorter leaves, usually single trunk. Most interesting is the
trunk which has Tillandsia or Spanish Moss type of fibers on
its trunk. Close up photos show this. Once I got a hundred
of the huge seeds of this species but couldn't get even one to
germinate. No growing data available. Never been for sale.

Availability of Raphia is essentially zero. We, on
occasion, do have a few for sale. Shown are our 15g plants.

Raphia farinifera

Raphia farinifera

Raphia farinifera

Raphia farinifera

Raphia farinifera

Raphia australis

Raphia australis

Raphia hookeri

Raphia hookeri

Raphia hookeri

ZAMIA FURFURACEATHE CARDBOARD CYCAD

This species of cycad has this peculiar
common name because of the thick, "cardboard-like" substance to the
leaves. The are thick, stiff and don't bend easily with pressure. It
is quite popular for several reasons. First, it doesn't get very
large. The picture below with a woman standing in front of a specimen
is about as large as you are ever going to see one. A more typical
height is three feet. Secondly, it is basically unarmed. There are
no spines to deal with. Third, it is fairly cold hardy and can take
full sun if you are right along the coast. All of these factors have
made this species one of the most popular of the common cycads. In
the last photo, you can see how it does quite nicely as a patio
plant.

Native to Mexico, this cycad likes good draining soil and can tolerate
temperatures into the mid to low twenties F. Its leaves are 1.5 to 3
feet long. There is variation in the size and shape of the leaflets.
Sometimes leaves are "coin shaped" and other times more elongated.
The seventh picture below even shows a "cupped" appearance to leaflets
of a specimen we used to have. You can see that we have plants for
sale of all sizes up to boxed specimens. In most areas, I think this
species does best in part day sun. In desert areas, shade will be
needed. Finally, Zamia furfuracea is an ideal choice for an
interior house plant and has been used for decades for this purpose.

CARYOTA URENSFISHTAIL PALMCaryota are a genus, and all are a type
of Fishtail Palm. This species is single trunk. It is monocarpic.
This means that, after about two decades, the plant flowers and dies.
Caryota urens makes a very tall tree and is extremely fast
growing. In Southern California it is the fastest of any palm in
terms of vertical growth. It is considered the ultimate species for
forming canopy. Its trunk matures to a height of fifty feet or more
and is about 18 inches thick. It will get taller and has a thinner
trunk than the presently popular species, Caryota gigas.

Shown here to the right is an exceptional 25g Caryota urens.
(we'll discuss C. gigas soon). It is about 18 feet
tall. This species likes full sun and is cold hardy to 20
degrees F, or perhaps a bit lower. We also have nice 15g plants as
shown below. The second photo to the right shows two palms, mature,
in an Encinitas garden. Below is a series of Caryota urens
planted at the Catamaran Hotel in San Diego. These plants were fairly
short lived because they were field grown and then dug. Digging
triggers the life cycle of Caryotas and threw these palms
into blossom. Unfortunately, the landscape people were unaware of
this at the time they purchased and dug these trees. The last photo
is of a mature tree in Balboa Park, San Diego.

For those wishing to establish a canopy, this is one of the best
species you can plant. They are fast, have large leaves and
throw good shade below.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2012

SMALL AND EASILY SHIPPED STARTER PLANTS ANYONE?Here I am going to show you smaller sized plants that
you could consider "starter plants". These are in our "band" containers.
A band
container is a square pot. It is 3" x 3" x 9". A lot of growers
have started using these containers because they nicely group together in
carrying trays. A tray will hold 25 plants (five rows of five plants)
and can easily be moved or carried. The nice thing about these pots
for consumers is that these pots give a nice, high quality seedling and they
can be easily shipped. It is very easy to pack four, nine, or
sixteen of these into a "block" and box them up safely. And, typically
the plants in these band containers are good sized, equivalent to a
very healthy one gallon plant. I'm going to show you an assortment of
band sized plants with minimal comments about the species.

NANNORRPHOPS RITCHEANA
A suckering palm from the Middle East that has anywhere from a green
color to a prominent blue, gets to a height of about eight feet and is
cold hardy into the upper teens F. and likes sun.

SABAL MINORA dwarf Sabal that never gets over about
four feet tall, is single trunked, has fan leaves with prominent
flower spikes that come above the foliage. Native to the
southern U.S., this species is cold hardy into the mid teens F. It
wants full sun.

TRITHRINAX CAMPESTRISThis South American palm is a fan palm,
suckers, has a very blue color, likes full hot sun and surprising cold
tolerance. It can take temperatures into the mid teens F.
Overall height is about ten feet or less.

ENCEPHALARTOS TRISPINOSUSThis South AFrican rare cycad species is
extremely blue when grown in the sun nd never gets overly
large. A plant five feet tall would be a big plant. It
likes full sun, heat and good drainage. Cold hardiness is into
the low 20's F.

CERATOZAMIA HILDAEThis is a shade loving dwarf cycad that has
interesting groups of leaflets along the stem. It typically is
never over four feet tall. It is a very "cute" species and cold
tolerant into the lower twenties f.

ENCEPHALARTOS CERINUSThis is another South African cycad.
This is a dwarf species with a trunk that is typically under six to
eight inches in size. Leaves are about three feet long and
fluffy appearing. It likes sun and good drainage. Cold
tolerance is about 22 degrees F. Cycads are easy to cold
protect.

DYPSIS BETAFAKAThis Madagascar species resembles a more
blue colored Dypsis decipiens.It is a new introduction.
It may sucker over time, this is not well known.It will want sun and
should be cold hardy into the lower 20's F.

DIOON TOMASELLIIA Mexican cycad, this species prefers strong
filtered light or perhaps full sun along the coast. It is a
medium sized plant with leaves about five to six feet long. The
interesting thing is the curve of the leaflets in a sickle like
downward curve. This is seen in only a few cycad seedlings.
Cold hardiness into the low 20's f.

STANGERIA ERIOPUSThis species looks more like a fern than a
cycad. It is from South Africa and is quite easy to grow.
It can take sun along the coast or filtered light inland. Cold
hardiness is like other species, into the low 20's f. It is a
dwarf species with leaves about three feet long.

BURRETIOKENTIA KOGHIENSISThis New Caledonian palm is single trunk,
pinnate,
and has a white crown shaft. It is very beautiful and a quick
growing plant. It likes full coastal sun or part day
sun/filtered light inland. Cold tolerance is into the mid,
perhaps lower 20's F. It is rare and hard to find.

PRITCHARDIA MUNROIIAs you can see here, some of our band plants
are huge, bigger than most nursery's one gallon plants. This is
an example of that. P. munroii is native to Hawaii and is a
medium sized fan palm that will take full sun along the coast, wants
protection inland, and has a broad, flat
green leaf. It is a very pretty species and hard to find.

LICUALA ELEGANSExotic fan palm from Asia with wide, flat
leaf that likes filtered light and can tolerate mild frosts. It
is slow growing but worth the wait.

DYPSIS SPECIES DARK MEALY BUGA sought after species of Dypsis from
Madagascar. The mature appearance of this species is unclear at
this time, but most think it will be super
desirable.

DYPSIS PRESTONIANAThis highly sought-after, single trunk species
from Madagascar is very beautiful.
This species comes from mid-elevation in southern Madagascar and is
proving to be a great species for Southern California. It has a
height of over 30 feet, a thick trunk that is about 12 to sixteen
inches thick with prominent rings, plmuose upright leaves and a
colored crown shaft. Cold tolerance appears to be into the
mid-twenties but is not yet worked out. Mature trees tolerate
full sun along the coast.

PARAJUBAEA TORALLYIIThis is a medium to large sized,
single trunk, non-crown
shafted palm that comes from South America. It is sometimes
called the "South American Coconut". It is fast growing, likes
sun, and cold tolerant down to the low 20's F.

This will give you a taste of plants in band containers.
What most people don't know is that we have a tens of thousands of band sized
plants.
So, there's a pretty good chance that the species you want might be available
in this smaller size. Most are very affordable in price.
And, if you get a good number of these, a volume discount would be considered.
Shipping band sized plants is fairly affordable.

CHAMAEDOREA MICROSPADIXLike Chamaedorea radicalis above, this
is another quite cold hardy Chamaedorea. It is known to do
quite well in various areas in Northern California. However, this
species is a suckering species with very thin trunks. I've seen
specimens where the trunk diameter is no greater than the standard
pencil. For a suckering species, it is also not too tall. Typically
this species gets up to seven, perhaps eight feet. It is not uncommon
on mature trees to see some trunks leaning out from the center of the
plant, gently reaching upwards. Leaf color is green, but on some
plants there is an iridescent gray discoloration to the leaves or even
a glaucous white backside to the leaflets. Female plants produce
pretty clusters of red seeds. This plant looks it's best in filtered
light and has a cold tolerance into the upper teens. I've seen very
nice specimens in the San Francisco Bay area. This Mexican species'
name implies that the blossom is "small", which is not the case. Our
photos here show a 15g plant with views of a flower. Note the very
thin trunks shown here. This plant will fill in over time and have a
dozen or two trunks when mature. On the fourth photo, not the sheen
to the leaves, typical of some strains of this species.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2012

HEDYCHIUM GARDNERIANUMTHE KAHILI GINGERI have
always had a fondness for Hedychium gingers. Not only
are they reasonably cold hardy, but they don't get too big and have
the most gorgeous upright blossoms. The last photo to the right
was taken about six weeks ago when I told you about this species.
Now look at the same plant in blossom! These blossoms last for
weeks and are very nicely fragrant. This is a filtered light
species. You can see that it hardly ever gets over six feet.
A hard freeze may knock back the foliage, but they recover nicely.
BTW, some people call this the Kahili Ginger, others call it Hawaiian
Ginger. There are different types of Hedychium, but
they all have upright blossoms. Contrast this with the dependent
Shell Ginger group. We only have a few Kahilis left.

BRAHEA NITIDATree Pot Size AvailableIt is
difficult to locate this single trunk, fan palm from Mexico. One
of the things I remember most about this species are the flat,
glossy green leaves. If grown in less than full sun, the color
is very dark and the leaves have almost a tropical, flat "Licuala-look".
This species is cold hardy into the upper teens. In most areas
you can grow it in sun or filtered light. I've even grown one if
shade with just a little dappled light. They potentially can get
up to 25 to 30 feet in many decades. They like good drainig
soil. I'd say rate of growth is slow.

we just got in this tree pot size (4x4x14 inch pot) and they are
available for sale. This pot is a great
size to ship because it goes in a small box at an affordable rate.
I'd say it's like a small 5g size. The habitat photo below was taken by a friend of
mine, Justen Dobbs.

four plants together in a larger pot

Habitat photo by Justen Dobbs

ZAMIA PORTORICENSISThis is a dwarf cycad from Puerto Rico
that has very small caudexes, rarely over four inches, with sort
leaves, typically under 3 feet. They cluster freely.
The leaves are green and either flat or with a minimal amount of
keeling. Compared to similar Zamia species, these are unique in
that the leaflets are longer and have minimal or no spines. They can
tolerate coastal sun but require sun protection far inland. Cold
tolerance is thought to be in the mid-twenties F. (little cold
tolerance data). This is a good cycad where there is very
limited space available. It can be grown as a patio potted
cycad.

TRACHYCARPUS FORTUNEI
THE CHINESE WINDMILL PALMThis species,
sometimes referred to as just the "Windmill Palm", is from China and
one of the most cold hardy of all palm species. There are enthusiasts
from areas such as Ohio and parts of New York that are keeping them
alive outdoors during the winter. It is a single trunk palm with a
furry trunk. In time, this trunk's mat and hair will fall off to
produce a cleaner trunk. The crown is small, especially in hot
intense sun. It stretches out in strong filtered light or part day
sun. But, too much shade may kill this species. It's leaves are
about three feet across. Leaf shape in nearly circular with divided
segments. Trunk height depends on the age of the tree. This species
is usually under twenty feet tall, but very old specimens (see below)
can reach heights of over 30 feet. Shown here are several good sized
boxed plants and a 5g plant. Most of our mail order customers prefer
the 5g size for shipping. Leaf stems are minimally armed with very
small barbs. Overall, it is quite a user-friendly species and is
great for smaller gardens. We do sell all sizes of this very
easy-to-grow species.

CYCAS
SPECIES "THAILAND SILVER"This is another seldom seen species from
Thailand. It is known for the fact that it throws a new set of leaves
that emerge silver. These leaves change to green over time. We came
across this species because, about fifteen years ago, there were a
small number of seeds from habitat that became available. After all
this time, the plants are of good size with caudexes up to about eight
inches. My suspicion is that they will have somewhat of a bottle
shape to the trunk. We have several of these for sale. After these
are gone, I suspect you won't see them available for a while. I would
grow this species in part day sun. Cold hardiness appears to be in
the mid-twenties F. Overall size is anticipated to be about 8 feet
when mature, although this is not well documented.

CHAMAEDOREA RADICALISTRUNKING AND DWARF FORMThis attractive species of Chamaedorea
comes in two distinct forms. One is a dwarf form; the other trunks
and the plant gets to a height of eight to ten feet. The dwarf form
reaches a height of three, sometimes four feet. This is a single
trunk Chamaedorea that is quite remarkable for several
reasons. First, it takes up very little space and fits nicely into
small areas of the floor of the garden. Second, it is one of the most
cold hardy of the Chamaedorea group, taking temperatures into
the upper teens. Third, it can tolerate some sun; it doesn't demand
full shade. Another cool thing are the blossoms. Female blossoms
reach above the leaves, are orange in color and develop large black
seeds. They are easy to pollinate and, if you plant a small colony of
males and females, are almost certain to get viable seeds. Shown here
is a 5g plant. We have a pretty good supply of both this form.

The trunking form gets up to about 8 feet of height. In previous
years, this was hard to find. Its trunk is thin. Leaves of
the trunking form look a little bit different and are thinner and
longer. Shown below are two photos of the trunking form.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

JUBAEA CHILENSISMATURE SPECIMEN AVAILABLEOnly rarely would I ever talk about a mature, in
the ground palm specimen. But, this one is sort of special and
rarely seen available. I have an acquaintance who wishes to sell
this specimen Jubaea chilensis. It has about twenty
feet of trunk and is a gorgeous plant as you can see. For those of you
who are not familiar with this species, it is the thickest trunked
palm species on the planet. To get a tree of this size takes
about four decades of growth. As a palm nurseryman, I see or
hear about a tree like this ever few years. And, unless you
happen to be a crane operator, you'd need a contractor to assist you
in digging, transporting and planting this specimen tree. Please
contact me if you or someone you know might be interested.
Although it's not inexpensive, I think you could purchase it for about
half the going retail market price.

HOWEA FORSTERIANAKENTIA PALMS, LARGE SPECIMENSOur
nursery normally carries and sells plant material that people can
lift. This is usually plants up to 24 inch, sometimes 30 inch
boxes. Our largest plants may need lift gates to get plants onto
a truck, but people can manage and plant them. With this said, I
want to remind readers that I work closely with several associates who
specialize in large, crane sized plants. This includes dozens of
palm species. If you are looking for
larger material, let me know. With 37 years under my belt, I
know a lot of sources and can probably find anything you want.
Shown here are some large Kentia Palms. Howea forsteriana will
get, over two to three decades, about thirty feet of trunk. An associate of mine
has some for sale with over twenty feet of trunk as shown. And,
he can deliver and plant them in many instances. This
includes both field grown and container grown plants. The last
four photos show Kentias from our nursery. With strong helpers,
these can easily be planted into the garden.

LIVISTONA CHINENSISCHINESE FAN PALMThis single trunk fan palm is native to
Southern Japan and Taiwan. It is typically seen as a palm under
twenty feet, but after many decades can get up to 30 or 40 feet tall
with a trunk that is 12 to 18 inches thick. It's crown is green and
full with leaves that are about six feet across. In shade the
petioles stretch out and the leaves are larger and flatter. In shade
condition, it is fairly exotic appearing. It is a very slow grower
and it is not unusual for this species to take ten years to form any
sort of trunk. This species is cold hardy into the upper teens F. We
have for sale typically 5g, 15g and boxed sized plants. Some of our
boxes are quite large, as shown. In most area, this species tolerates
full sun. But, as mentioned, it can grow in strong filtered light.
It is also known to be used a an interior palm. BTW, it is the most
cold hardy of any species within the genus of Livistona.

HYOPHORBE LAGENICAULIS X
VERSCHAFELTIITHE BOTTLE PALM CROSSED WITH THE SPINDLE PALM
A GREAT HYBRID!All plant enthusiasts love the genus
Hyophorbe. This genus of five species comes from the Mascarene
Islands. All are single trunk species with interesting trunks,
pinnate leaves and peculiar flower bracts. Of these, the Bottle Palm,
H. lagenicaulis, is the most popular. It has a swollen,
bottle shaped base with a thinner trunk above this fat base. The
H. verschafeltii, the Spindle Palm, is thinner at the base and
swells in the mid trunk or toward the top. On mature specimens, the
trunk is cigar shaped. Both tend to be short palms, hardly ever over
twelve feet tall except in habitat or with hundred year old trees.
Both require sun and heat to grow. Another difference is that the
Bottle Palm, especially when younger, has a dark red color in the
stems and petiole whereas the Spindle is a yellow-gold color.

However, the Bottle Palm has the weakness for us in California that it
doesn't tolerate cold temperatures. A freeze or even temperatures in
the mid to low thirties F., will burn or kill it. The Spindle Palm is
more cold tolerant. There are very few nice sized H. lagenicaulis
growing here because of our cold, but a nice number of H.
verschefeltii. But, enthusiasts love the swollen base of the
Bottle Palm.

The perfect solution is a hybrid of the two. And, I recently got in
some massive 15g hybrids of the Bottle Palm crossed with the Spindle
Palm. These have been outdoor grown and already seen temperatures
below freezing for many years. I'd estimate their cold tolerance at
28 degrees. They show the basilar swelling of the bottle, but the
leaf color of both with yellow in the petiole. And, the mere fact
that they've survived cold weather outdoors here rules out they're
being pure Bottle Palms. The bases are ten inches in diamter. We've
only got a small number of these. They are ready for a box or the
garden. No acclimation is needed. If you need an interesting short
palm for full sun, this might be the perfect plant for you. The last
photo is of a hybrid, but the reverse cross. It is at the PACSOA
website and by George Lao. I do not have a mature specimen photo of
this actual hybrid.

We're almost sold out of these, so don't miss out!

Bottle Palm

Spindle Palm

Bottle Palm

Spindle Palm

H. verschafeltii x lagenicaulis,
Pacsoa by G. Lao

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

MESSAGE TO READERS OF THIS
BLOG

I've been doing this Blog for about 15 months now. I've covered hundreds
of species of palms, cycads and tropical plants and posted thousands of
photographs.
It's been viewed by tens of thousands of people. But, I need feedback
from you, the reader. I would like to know what you like. And, how
you prefer it's presented.
More text? More pictures? Less of either of these. What part
of this blog do you enjoy the most? Are there species or groups that
you'd like to see me present?
Also, and very important, can you view this thread easily?

It's easy to email me feedback. Just click on the link below to "Email
Feedback to Phil". If the link doesn't work for you, email me at
phil@junglemusic.net.
I thank you for your time.

ROYSTONEA BORINQUENAA MORE COLD HARDY ROYAL PALM?It seems that almost everyone loves the
Royal Palm. This is a group of New World pinnate palms with tall
trunks, swollen bases, and long green crown shafts. The problem is that some people are in areas that
get too cold. After our Southern California freeze in 2007, I
received many reports that Roystonea borinquena did better with the
cold than other species of Royal Palms. I certainly don't want
to suggest that this species is good for people who routinely see
temperatures into the low 20's. But, if you live in an area
where once in a while you get into the mid-twenties, this might be a
better species to try. It might give you a degree or two more
cold hardiness..

It is native to Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and a few surrounding
Caribbean Islands. Overall height is up to fifty feet, trunk
diameter is 18 inches with a long prominent emerald green crown shaft,
leaf length up to fifteen feet. The base is not as swollen as
the Cuban Royal, R. regia. Growth rate is moderate. It
likes full sun. It withstood the 2007 freeze where it saw
temperatures of 24 degrees. I think the reader should assume
that any mid-twenties temperatures will most likely damage a Royal
Palm. In time, we'll know for sure if this species is better
with cold. We try to have this species available in various
sizes. Shown is a 15g plant. Note that on
none of the photos here of large plants is the trunk base massively swollen.

ROYSTONEA REGIATHE CUBAN ROYAL PALMSince I
introduced a Royal Palm above, I thought perhaps I should say
something about the most common Royal Palm that you'll see around: The
Cuban Royal Palm, Roystonea regia. This species gets extremely
tall, even to one hundred feet. It is native to a vast area
including Mexico, parts of Central America and almost all the
Caribbean Islands. Trunk diameter is 2feet, even more at the
base, which is sometimes massively swollen. Crown shafts are long
and emerald green in color. Leaves are about fourteen feet and
older ones hang down past the horizontal midline of the crown.
(contrast this with R. oleracea which don't hang down) Cold tolerance is into the mid
twenties. Twenty-five degrees F. definitely shows foliar damage.
It is a sun loving species and has been known to grow in full sun in
Phoenix, AZ. This species does like ample water.

We always have some sizes available for sale. The second and
third photos show large boxes that we can provide on demand.
They are extremely heavy. The next to last photo shows several
plants on Morena Dr. in San Diego, CA, that almost died during 2007 when they saw temperatures into
the low 20's. But, they came back. The last photo is a
picture of Louis Hooper's plant in La Habra, CA. About five
years ago another
enthusiast later bought it from Louis and
successfully dug and moved it to Anaheim Hills, CA. It is still
alive today. Large Royals can be dug and moved, but it is very risky and
you have to know what you are doing.

Royals on Morena Dr., San Diego

Royal on Mansfield in San Diegoe/span>

ENCEPHALARTOS BUBALINUS
RARE CYCAD FROM NORTHERN TANZANIA Many of you have perhaps never
heard of this medium sized green cycad that grows at an elevation of
4000 feet in the rocky hills of Tanzania in Eastern Africa, bordered by
Kenya to the north and Mozambique to the south. It is a green cycad
with leaves about four to five feet long. It's trunk gets to six
feet tall with a width of approximately 18 inches. On cultivated
plants, I've noted that sometimes the color is a gray-green.
Leaflets of juvenile plants are cupped. Mature leaflets are
narrow as shown. This species can be grown in sun along the coast.
It needs good soil drainage. Cold tolerance is probably in the
mid twenties, perhaps down to about 22 degrees. Shown here is an
assortment of nursery plants and a mature specimen. .

DUDLEYA BRITTONIITHE CHALK DUDLEYA PLANTI don't pretend to be an expert
on succulents, but I know what I like in this interesting
group of plants. Since I first saw this peculiar near white
plant, I fell in love with it. Dydleya are a group
of xerophytic plants with many species being chalky blue to
white in color. This species is native to Baja California and
grows in a rosette pattern and never gets very large. A large
plant would be twelve inches across. Its leaves are covered
with a chalky white powder, thus giving it its extreme
glaucous color. This wax cover prevents dehydration of the
plant. It wants sun and heat to grow well. It is hardy to
frosts. It doesn't like to be watered at all during the
colder months. I had a friend who had one of these in a pot
on an outdoor table. He told me that, for ten years, he has
never watered it. And, it looked superb. We just got in some
one gallon plants. We are selling these for $25. They can
be easily shipped. Our plants had not yet been put into full
sun. So, they will get a lot more white colored quickly in
the sun. This is an ideal species for close to a walkway in
full sun. And, for native plant people in these areas, it
would qualify as several species of Dudleya live
natively in So Cal. The last photo is borrowed from
Wickipedia, unknown photographer, to show the appearance of a
mature plant.

Wickipedia, unknown photographer

CALOCASIA SPECIESBLACK ELEPHANT EARCalocasia are a group of water loving,
tropical companion plants that add appeal to the garden. We just
got in some black colored species. They appear similar to C.
esculente black magic, but have been reported to us to be more
cold hardy. These are outdoor grown plants that have seen a
freeze. They are black in color with a blue-black underside to
the leaves. Height should be two to three feet. They
prefer part day sun or filtered light. They do like water.
We have some 5g plants at a very affordable price.

by
httpmembers.iinet.net.au~meckmsColocasias.html.jpg

photo by Wayside Gardens

BISMARCKIA NOBILISSPECIAL PRICE, $65 FOR 15G SIZE!We jrecently got in a
special group of 15g Bismarckia nobilis from another grower. These plant are reasonably sized as shown in the
first photo. All the leaves are palmate. They have been
outdoor grown and seen temperatures into the mid-twenties F. For
the next two weeks, we're charging just $65 for these 15g plants.
They are about 30 to 36 inches talland showing good color. They are
sun grown and in a heavy soil mix. We don't have many, so come by and
get this great blue species of palm at a great price. I'll show a few
photos of mature plants for those not familiar with this species. It
likes full sun and is cold tolerant to about 23 degrees, perhaps a bit
lower.

If you note the leaves have a purple color mixed in with the silver,
you are correct. You see this when plants are outdoor grown,
fully exposed and see cold weather. Some feel this purple
guarantees you that you'll get a nice blue color when mature. In
other words, with maturity they stop showing the purple; it's replaced
with pure blue.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2012

DYPSIS LEPTOCHEILOSTHE TEDDY BEAR PALMI feel this species
should be in the Top Ten List of desirable palms for Southern
California. It is a good grower, is not overly large, has an
attractive silver-blue trunk that is topped off with a rusty brown
crown shaft that feels like velvet. What else could you want?

This species comes from Madagascar, gets to about 25 feet height and has a
rather thin trunk of six inches typically. If the trunk doesn't
get any direct sun, it will maintain this color throughout its life.
With sun, it will develop a brown tan color. So, you might
consider planting the species where it will pierce the canopy but
maintain shade on its trunk. Along the coast Dypsis leptocheilos
can be grown in full sun, all day long. If you live far inland, I'd give it part day
sun. Cold tolerance is into the low 20's F. At our nursery
in 2007, 25 degrees did not burn this species.

Shown here is an assortment of sizes from 1g plants up to 25g.
Sizes available changes over time, but we try to always have this species in stock.
No palm garden is complete without a Teddy Bear.

COCCOTHRINAX,
THE
GENUS
THIN TRUNKED, DESIRABLE FAN PALMS

Every morning that I have time to write on this
blog, I try to think of something that would be fun for readers to
see. Someone emailed me encouraging that I write about unusual fan
palms. So, I thought "why not talk about the entire genus of
Coccothrinax". This morning I will synopsize this genus and show
a whole array of photographs of species.

Coccothrinax are thin trunked, small to medium sized fan
palms from Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico and perhaps into Central
America. They vary in height from five to ten feet up to forty feet
or more. Trunk sizes are usually thin with six inches being common.
This species has inter-species hybridization that is poorly worked
out. So, the taxonomists vary on the number of species in this
group. It is somewhere between fifteen and forty. Leaf color varies
from green to silver, often with the underside being silver. Some
trunks show great woven pattens of fibers while others are hairy.
Almost all species are solitary palms. They are monoecious and have
small, typically black fruited seeds. Most trunks become clean wood
over many years. Almost all like sun and heat. Some species may even
take inland desert sun. Many are cold hardy into the mid twenties F.

Coccothrinax are very rare to find in nurseries. Because of
my interest in them, we always have an assortment for sale.
Nurserymen hate growing these because they are so slow in containers.
But, there's a secret about this. Just get them into the ground and
they are medium growers. You can have a nice tree in a matter of five
to ten years. Shown here is an assortment of containerized plants,
one gallon to fifteen gallon sizes. Also shown are an assortment of
many mature species. The nice thing about Coccothrinax is that they
are not big, all are interesting appearing and pretty, and nothing
else in the palm world is quite like them. This genus is one that we
are the nursery highly recommend. They'll add diversity to your
garden.

Coccothrinax barbadensis

Coccothrinax miraguama v. havanensis

Coccothrinax argentea leaf below

Coccothrinax dussiana

Coccothrinax argentea

Coccothrinax alta

Coccothrinax readii

Coccothrinax miraguamar v. roseocapa

Coccothrinax miraguamar v. roseocapa

Coccothrinax crinita

Coccothrinax crinita trunk

Coccothrinax miraguama

Coccothrinax barbadensis

Coccothrinax argentea

Coccothrinax species Selby Gardens

Coccothrinax miraguama

Coccothrinax proctorii leaf

Coccothrinax spissa

Coccothrinax scoparia

Coccothrinax radiata

Coccothrinax protcorii

Coccothrinax argentea /span>

Coccothrinax litoralis

Coccothrinax
leaf

Coccothrinax spissa, cigar trunk

Coccothrinax inaguensis

Coccothrinax barbadensis

PTYCHOSPERMA ELEGANSTHE SOLITAIRE PALMPtychosperma is a group of pinnate
palms from Australia, PNG and various Pacific islands. There are
single trunk and suckering varieties. All are crown shafted.
The hallmark for identifying this species is the leaflets. All
have a jagged, chopped off terminal leaflet. In other words, the
leaflet tips don't come to a pointed end but rather a notched or
jagged end. Ptychosperma elegans is one of the most
cold hardy species of this group. They get a thin trunk, a
somewhat silver crown shaft and a medium sized crown of leaves.
Cold tolerance is into the mid to upper 20's f. They prefer to
"work their way" into the sun. So, planting in strong
filtered light would be ideal if they can grow up into the sun over
time. Inland areas would require filtered light at all times.
They are a medium rate grower. Planting in clumps can be
attractive. Shown here are examples of 15g and 5g plant material
at the nursery. I have a very nice plant in my garden that is
about 25 feet tall and gets eastern light. Also shown are some
mature plants in gardens. The fourth photo was taken by HJD.
The last photo demonstrates the terminal portion of the leaflets and
their jagged edge. This photo is of a P. schefferi,
another nice species.

CERATOZAMIA HILDAEA VERY COLD HARDY DWARF CYCAD

I've discussed this species before, but today I
wanted to make three main points about this species. First, it is
probably one of the most cold hardy of all the Ceratozamia.
It has been known to tolerate temperatures down to 17 degrees F. The
second point is that it is small in size and will fit almost anywhere
in the garden. Native to Mexico, this species prefers filtered light
in most areas but can tolerate near full sun along the coast. Its
leaves never get over four to five feet and the maximal caudex size is
no bigger than a cantaloupe. It likes good draining soil and not to
be overwatered. It is also an ideal patio plant.

Customers often see a particular leaf form and say "I want that
type". Well, it's not as easy as you'd think. Seedling plants may
not totally predict what the mature plant will look like. If you look
at all these plants, you'll notice variation in the leaves and
leaflets. Typically you see grouping of the leaflets. But, there are
forms that only have single, simple leaflets attached with little
grouping. This is the third point I wish to make: there is variation
in the appearance of this species. Some have fat leaflets, others
thin. Some have six leaflets per grouping, others just two. Some
leaflets are long and thin, others short and compact. But, they are
all charming and quite cute. We can easily ship one of them right to
your door. Just give us a call.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

ATTRACTIVE MEDIUM TO LARGE CYCADS
AN ASSORTMENT OF SPECIES

I thought this morning I would quickly show you
some cycads from around our nursery. I've selected an assortment of
plants
with some blue Encephalartos. I'll make a few brief comments about the
species shown. But, this is more of a visual presentation
than an informational one. I hope you enjoy some of these plants.
I just shot the photos in the past two days. If you're just a palm
person, be patient. More palm species will be coming in the next few
days.

DIOON MEJIAEThis is an attractive Central American
Dioon species with distribution from Southern Mexico into Honduras.
New leaves emerge upwards and, at the time of being thrown, are
unbelievably soft and wooly. Mature leaflets tend to have no or
minimal spines. Oppose this to Dioon spinulosum which is much
more spiny. Color is green, overall height typically under ten
feet. Filtered light usually required or perhaps part sun along
the coast. Cold tolerance low 20's F.

DIOON MEROLAEThis Mexican species of cycad is very
slow growing with one hundred year old trunks just being four to five feet
of height. The crowns of leaves are gray-green, trunks are
about a foot or less in diameter and leaves are three to four feet
long. This is a compact cycad. New leaves emerge upwards
and will lay down over time. They like full sun along the coast,
part sun inland. Cold tolerance is into the low twenties f.
A 15g plant is shown here.

ENCEPHALARTOS ARENARIUS
BLUEI don't
know for sure if this is the coveted true 'blue form" of Encephalartos
arenarius from South Africa. It may well be. I imported
quite a few of these several decades ago and this might be one of them
with years of subsequent growth. They are an arenarius but share
qualities of E. horridus with blue color and leaf shape. This is
a sun plant with cold hardiness of approximately 22 degrees F.
Inland desert areas and desert locations would require part day or
filtered light.

ENCEPHALARTOS EUGENE-MARAISIIThis sought after species of South
African cycad comes from the northern Transvaal area. It is
similar in appearance to E. middleburgensis. It's leaflets tend
to be upright with a strongly keeled leaf. Color ranges from
green to blue. It is a sun loving species except for far inland
areas. Cold tolerance is into the low 20's F.

F

ENCEPHALARTOS MIDDLEBURGENSISThis is another sought-after Transvaal
South African species that has color range from green to blue.
This specimen is a blue-green. It also has upright leaves.
It is a sun species with similar cold tolerance as eugene-maraisii.
Both this and the last species are always difficult to find in
nurseries. But, they are just gorgeous as they get larger in the
garden.

ENCEPHALARTOS HORRIDUSThis blue species of cycad is from the
Natal district of South Africa. It is a small to at most medium
sized plant. A very old plant will have a twelve inch trunk. Three
feet of trunk is the maximum.
The color is blue and the leaflets are extremely spiny, probably one
of the most spiny of all cycads. They want full sun in coatal
areas but need protection from full sun in the desert. Cold
tolerance is the low twenties F. Interestingly, this is the most
popular species among new enthusiasts.

ENCEPHALARTOS KISAMBOThis Central African cycad makes a
large plant. It has very upward pointing leaves, especially on
new throws, and is green in color. It is moderately armed with
sines. The older leaves will hang downwards. It needs some
room in the garden. Along the coast it will take full or part
day sun. Far inland areas require some sun protection.
Cold tolerance is into the mid to low 20's F. It is a fast
growing cycad.

ENCEPHALARTOS SPECIESCENTRAL AFRICACycad
enthusiasts love unknown species. This species is obviously from
Central Africa. I say this because of the light colored caudex
that is furry and white. Also, note that the new leaves and
stems are extremely hairy and fuzzy. There is an assortment of
species that are either un-named or recently named from this
part of Africa. This plant will probably be a good sized plant,
reasonably cold hardy at least into the mid-twenties, and fast growing. I would
recommend part day sun for this interesting cycad. And, yes,
those leaves are so fun to touch when emerging. They are as soft
as almost anything in the plant world.

ENCEPHALARTOS MANIKENSISThis is another Central
African cycad. It makes a large plants and is very fast growing.
It has eight foot leaves. With several sets of leaves, it is
quite full and requires a good amount of room in the garden.
This boxed specimen is well on it's way. It's a sun species
along the coast. All Central African species could use some sun
protection in super hot inland areas. cold tolerance should be
into the low 20's F.

ENCEPHALARTOS PRINCEPSThis is a South African cycad
species that is similar to Encephalartos lehmanii. Except, with
princeps, the distal leaflets are rotated on their axis to face the
center of the plant. They don't just lay down flat like the
lehmanii. Leaves are often keeled. The color is quite
blue. The first four photos of one plant are to show the
orientation of the leaflets. The last photo is of another plant
outdoors in sun. With outdoor sun, this species becomes
intensely blue. It's a full sun plant for coastal areas.
Cold hardiness is pretty good, down to at least 22 degrees F.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2012

TRITHRINAX CAMPESTRISI talked about this species recently,
but wanted to mention it again because it is so rare to see plants
like this available. We have super blue 5g and 15g plants
presently. These take hot, blazing sun, will live in the desert,
are cold hardy into the mid-teens F., and can be grown in humid areas
like TX or FL. Shown here are both of the sizes we have
available.

CARPENTARIA ACUMINATAThis is a single trunk, pinnate, crown-
shafted palm species from northern
Australia. It gets to 40 feet or more and
has a rather thin trunk. It is a fast grower.
Cold tolerance is slightly below a freeze.
It is uncommonly seen in Southern CA.
It is a species that should be started in
strong filtered light and then allowed to
grow upwards into full sun. Shown is
a 5g plant and a mature specimen. This
species is seldom seen for sale in CA.
I am also showing a close up photo of
the crown shaft and red fruit.

ZAMIA LEAF
APPEARANCE

There is a tremendous array in the
appearances of the leaves of this genus. In terms of orientation, some
are very upright. Others, like Zamia pseudoparastitica, are very
dependent and hang downwards, way below the stem. Many new leaves as they flush from the stem are green. But, others
are gold, bronze, brown or red emergent. These colors are transient and
typically revert to a green color over time. Leaf
length can be as short as one foot long in some dwarf species. Others
have leaves of six or more feet. Leaflet appearance is
also variable. Most species have serrated edges, but many are smooth
without teeth. Pictures below will show the
variation in the appearance of leaves. Of note, some of the most sought
after species have wide, exotic leaflets. The leaf stems
of Zamia are typically armed with small spines. Some species
have almost or completely smooth petioles. One species
shown below, Zamia picta (Z. variegata), has variegated
yellow splotches on the leaflets. Below are pictures of an
assortment of Zamia leaves. I hope you like them.

Zamia cremnophila
leaves

Zamia dressleri newly emergent leaf

Zamia elegantissima leaves

Zamia muricata leaf

Zamia picta leaf

Zamia skinneri
leaves

Zamia splendensleaf

Leaves of
Zamia vasquezii

Zamia obliqua

Zamia pseudoparasitica in a basket

Zamia kickxii

Zamia skinneri,
red emergent by R. Martin

FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 2012

BRAHEA CLARAMore Tolerant of Humidity Than B. armata?This is a
single trunk, blue fan palm from the area of Sonora in Mexico.
It is closely related to Brahea armata and some would consider it a
variant of the latter. But, there are others who praise the
interesting characteristics of this "species". First and
foremost is that fact that people in the southern U.S. say this
species tolerates the humid summers bettter than the desert-loving
Brahea armata. People in the San Francisco bay area say it grows
better there and doesn't seem to demand as much hot weather in the
summer. Brahea armata has to have hot summers. Others claim it's faster growing than armata, and this
is probably true. There are some who feel this fast growth is
because of natural hybridization with Brahea brandegeei in the wild.
Others will tell you that the petiole is longer, has a different color
and the crown is more open.

So, what does one make of all this? You have to be the judge.
All I can say is that I got in some very nice and chunky 15g plants as shown
here. These reportedly were from wild collected seeds. This will be a medium sized, full sun palm that takes
temperatures into the mid-teens. And, if you like blue and live
in the South, perhaps this is the species to get. BTW, there are
very few photos of this species on the Internet. The last
photo shows a 15g Brahea armata for comparison.

photo by TS at RPS

For comparison, Brahea armata
in a 15g pot

ZAMIA PAUCIJUGAEASY TO GROW, RARE DWARF CYCADThis is a dwarf Zamia from Mexico,
specifically on the Pacific Coast side of the central Mexico near Puerto
Vallarta. It natively lives under oak trees in filtered light.
Mature caudexes are three to four inches. Leaves are typically
two, maximum three feet long. Leaflets are leathery, green and
have fine spines on the apical half of the leaves. Males cones
(shown here) are about 10 cm long and light brown in color. This
species tolerates strong filtered light or perhaps full sun along the
coast. Inland areas require protection from bright sun.

I just got in some mature Zamia paucijuga. It is so rare that
ones sees such plants for sale. By report, these plants are from
habitat collected seeds well over ten to fifteen years ago. They
have already seen cold weather in the mid to low 20's F. These
were grown in rather bright sun.

I might warn you that, if you do an Internet search on this species,
you are going to see some mislabeled plants of this species.
Some will even have long thin leaflets with pronounced drip tips.
These are not true Zamia paucijuga. Hybridization of Zamia
occurs frequently. As far as I know, these plants shown here are pure and true to
the species.

BONZAI ROCK FICUS
TWENTY YEARS IN A SMALL POTI don't pretend to be a bonzai expert nor do we
have a bonzai nursery. About twenty years ago I bought a
Ficus plant that I was told was a 'Rock Ficus". I was told
that, if you planted it on top of a rock, the roots would wrap around
the rock in a very unusual manner. I did not do this at the
time. Recently I came across a plant that I was told had been in
this pot for twenty years. It looks like that rock Ficus
from years ago. It has the most unusual exposed trunks or roots
as shown. It almost resembles the legs of an animal. I
thought it was so interesting that I bought it and brought it to the
nursery. It is as shown. I am not sure of the species name
of the Ficus. It's a one of a kind thing and is for
sale. It might make a wonderful patio plant or perhaps a
one-of-a-kind interior plant in a very bright window location.

I know this type of plant is off-theme, but once in a while I like to
show something to surprise you.

PHOENIX THEOPHRASTIIPERHAPS THE MOST COLD HARDY PHOENIXRecently I talked about this species.
Please scan below a few weeks ago. I just wanted to show some
new 15g plants that I got in that are really nice. This species
is suckering (typically) and is from the island of Crete. It is
a bristly palm with lots of spines. It has a pronounced yellow
color in its petioles. But, most important to people in cold
areas, it is possibly the most cold hardy of all the Phoenix,
even better than the Canary Palm. It
is somewhat smaller than Phoenix dactylifera and the leaves are green
in color. Shown here are views of the new plants I got in. It
likes sun and cold tolerance should be about 15 degrees F. The
last photo shows a single trunk plant (RPS website), perhaps pruned
this way or perhaps naturally single trunk. You can see that it
is a medium sized palm species.